UAE drives AI growth with 500 Tbps digital infrastructure upgrade

The United Arab Emirates has taken a monumental leap forward in its technological evolution with the official launch of a strategic digital infrastructure project designed to expand international connectivity to more than 500 terabits per second (Tbps) by 2030.

Witnessed by His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court, this landmark initiative marks a twenty-fivefold increase over current network capacity. Operating in his capacity as Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority (EIA), the main shareholder in etisalat group, Sheikh Mansour reviewed future projects aimed at strengthening the nation's readiness for accelerated artificial intelligence demands and cementing its status as a global technology hub.

Expanding international connectivity for the AI Era

As global data processing demands surge alongside exponential advancements in artificial intelligence, modern economies require robust, high-performance telecommunications architectures. The newly unveiled project addresses these growing challenges through diversified routing and advanced low-latency design. These engineering measures ensure that the country's connection to the global digital economy remains fast, direct, and resilient while simultaneously safeguarding digital sovereignty.

Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman of etisalat group, highlighted the strategic foresight behind the initiative during the launch event. He stated: “This project reflects our conviction that the UAE should not simply adopt AI, but govern it and build with it. That requires digital infrastructure at a scale that would prepare us for the future.”

He further elaborated on the massive technical scaling required to meet modern enterprise demands: “Moving international connectivity from 20 terabits per second to more than 500 is a strategic step to address the growing challenges facing global data processing and data flow, particularly given the tremendous advancements in AI, and enhances the flexibility and reliability of the infrastructure to meet the requirements of UAE's AI campuses, global cloud providers, and the group's operations and customers across its markets.”

Key project highlights and strategic figures

To understand the sheer scale and operational scope of this nationwide digital transformation, several key metrics and project features stand out:

• Capacity Milestone: International connectivity capacity is scheduled to expand from 20 Tbps to over 500 Tbps by 2030.

• Growth Factor: Represents a massive twenty-fivefold increase over current capacity levels.

• Network Design: Utilises diversified routes combined with low-latency performance to ensure maximum reliability.

• Global Footprint: etisalat group currently operates across 38 countries, serving more than 250 million subscribers worldwide.

• Strategic Pillars: Anchored within a refreshed corporate vision built around four core business engines: telecommunications, artificial intelligence and business solutions, infrastructure, and financial technology.

Strengthening national competitiveness and global reach

Beyond domestic upgrades, the initiative extends national infrastructure directly into the global digital ecosystem. Because etisalat group maintains an expansive international footprint spanning 38 countries and serving upwards of 250 million subscribers, the project creates seamless digital bridges across multiple continents. This ensures that UAE-based institutions, global cloud providers, and regional enterprise campuses enjoy unparalleled connectivity resilience.

The undertaking also coincides with etisalat's fiftieth anniversary celebrations, marking five decades of continuous technological contribution to the nation. Reflecting on this milestone, Chairman Alzaabi noted: “This is the same commitment that has guided this group for fifty years. We marked that anniversary this week by setting out what the next era asks of us, and this project is our answer. In every generation of technology, etisalat has built the infrastructure the nation depends on, ensuring high flexibility and resiliency across all our markets. AI is the defining technology of this generation, and the principle has not changed.”

This ambitious development reinforces the UAE's overarching vision to cultivate a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. By providing public and private institutions with dependable, high-capacity digital highways, the nation is well-positioned to pioneer advanced technology deployment on a global scale.