Abu Dhabi-based technology company G42 has partnered with French AI startup Mistral AI to develop next-generation AI platforms and infrastructure.

This partnership builds on earlier AI cooperation agreements supported by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The collaboration aims to cover the entire AI value chain, including model training, AI agent development, infrastructure, and industry-specific applications in Europe, the Middle East, and the Global South.

G42’s subsidiaries, Core42 and Inception, will provide expertise in infrastructure and solutions development. Meanwhile, Mistral AI will focus on its open-weight large language models.

🔗 Source: YourStory

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ UAE’s strategic AI push reflects $91 billion economic opportunity

This G42-Mistral partnership is a key component of the UAE’s ambitious plan to become a global AI leader by 2031, as outlined in their national strategy.

Economic projections estimate AI could contribute AED 335 billion (approximately $91 billion) to the UAE economy by 2030, representing a 26% increase in economic output 1.

The partnership aligns with UAE’s focus on establishing a supportive environment for AI through international collaborations, reflecting their commitment to leveraging existing strengths in sectors like energy, tourism, and logistics.

This strategic focus on AI infrastructure development is particularly critical for the UAE’s economic diversification goals, creating less dependence on oil revenues while positioning the country as a technology hub.

Accenture’s research further reinforces this potential impact, estimating that AI adoption could add $182 billion in gross value to the UAE economy by 2035 2.

2️⃣ Part of a broader Middle East-West AI partnership wave

The G42-Mistral alliance follows just days after landmark agreements between the US and Gulf nations to enhance AI infrastructure and capabilities in the region.

Most notably, the US and UAE recently announced plans to build a massive AI data center complex in Abu Dhabi, starting with a 1GW facility and expanding to a total of 5GW 3.

These developments represent a strategic pivot by Gulf nations to position themselves as key players in global AI, attracting significant Western technology partnerships and investment.