Microsoft has unveiled a strategic partnership with G42, a prominent AI company in the UAE, aimed at advancing AI solutions across various industries and markets in the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa.
"With the breadth of the Microsoft Cloud and its differentiated AI capabilities, the deal significantly advances G42's strategy of delivering generative AI and next-generation infrastructure and services for a range of customers across financial services, healthcare, energy, government and education," Microsoft wrote in a blog post.
Microsoft Will Invest $1.52 Billion into G42
Under the agreement, Microsoft will inject $1.5 billion into G42 for a minority stake, with Brad Smith, Microsoft Vice Chair and President, joining G42's board of directors.
This collaboration seeks to leverage Microsoft Azure's cloud and AI capabilities to deliver generative AI and next-generation infrastructure and services to customers in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, energy, government, and education.
G42 will expand its utilization of Microsoft Cloud offerings, migrating its data platform and technology infrastructure to Microsoft Azure. This migration will not only enhance services but also facilitate AI product development, enabling G42 to deliver faster solutions to its global customer base.
Microsoft claims that G42's expertise in AI technologies has been pivotal in driving progress in the Middle East, particularly through its collaboration with the tech giant.
In 2023, G42 committed to implementing Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty, aiding UAE-based organizations in securing sensitive data and ensuring compliance with local privacy and regulatory requirements.
G42's Arabic Large Language Model
Moreover, Microsoft announced that Jais, G42's Arabic Large Language Model (LLM), will be accessible in the Azure AI Model Catalog, offering more than 400 million Arabic speakers access to generative AI.
This expansion aims to accelerate the adoption of G42's AI products and services, including Jais, through Microsoft Azure.
In March, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB), the UAE's largest bank, partnered with Core42, a G42 subsidiary, to leverage Microsoft Azure for its digital transformation journey.
FAB will transition its datacenter and workload to Azure, utilizing Core42's sovereign controls platform to ensure data sovereignty and compliance with UAE regulations.
Additionally, G42 subsidiary M42 is collaborating with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Microsoft, and the International Center for Genetic Disease (ICGD) to advance clinical genomic research. Leveraging Terra, a platform powered by Microsoft Azure, the partners aim to enhance disease prevention and support precision medicine globally.
The partnership between Microsoft and G42 extends beyond the UAE, facilitating digital transformation in emerging markets across the Middle East, Central Asia, and Africa.
By providing expanded low-latency datacenter infrastructure, the collaboration aims to accelerate access to digital innovation and drive competitiveness in the region.
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