Factbox-Escalating tensions turn spotlight on Big Tech's AI investments in Middle East

March 2 (Reuters) - The expanding U.S.-Israeli aerial warfare against Iran has sparked caller uncertainty successful a portion that has attracted billions of dollars of ‌investment commitments arsenic it positioned itself arsenic a planetary exertion and artificial quality ‌hub.

Countries successful the Middle East are investing heavy successful artificial intelligence, semiconductor partnerships and unreality computing arsenic ​part of broader translation plans designed to pull overseas superior and physique home exertion ecosystems.

Here are immoderate of the Big Tech concern plans successful the region:

MICROSOFT

Microsoft said it volition put $15.2 cardinal successful the United Arab Emirates betwixt 2023 and 2029, driven by its expanding AI ‌partnership with sovereign AI steadfast ⁠G42.

The institution said it has already spent $7.3 billion, including a $1.5 cardinal involvement successful G42 and much than $4.6 cardinal connected AI and unreality data-center ⁠capacity.

Microsoft said successful November that from 2026 done 2029 it plans to walk much than $7.9 cardinal successful the UAE, arsenic portion of its $15.2 cardinal concern plan.

AMAZON.COM

Amazon Web Services said it ​will put ​more than $5.3 cardinal to physique a caller ​data-center portion successful Saudi Arabia by ‌2026, bolstering the kingdom's propulsion to go a determination tech hub up of World Expo 2030.

The Amazon portion said the concern includes programs to bid section unreality endowment and volition springiness businesses and developers in‑country entree to its afloat suite of unreality and AI services.

ALPHABET

Google Cloud and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund person said they volition put $10 ‌billion to physique and run a planetary AI hub ​in the kingdom, launched with section tech steadfast ​Humain. The task was archetypal announced successful ​2024.

ORACLE

Oracle said it volition put $1.5 cardinal to grow its unreality infrastructure ‌in Saudi Arabia, including a caller nationalist ​cloud portion successful Riyadh ​and accrued capableness astatine its existing Jeddah site, arsenic portion of an statement with the communications ministry.

Separately, Oracle and Nvidia said successful precocious 2025 that they ​are deepening their concern ‌to enactment sovereign AI projects, including enactment with Abu Dhabi's Department of Government ​Enablement to physique unafraid AI-first authorities systems.

(Reporting by Kritika Lamba and Akash ​Sriram successful Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)