Core42 and e& UAE Partner to Scale Sovereign AI Computing

e& UAE and Core42 have launched a joint sovereign artificial intelligence infrastructure service designed to give businesses and government entities access to high-performance computing capacity hosted inside the United Arab Emirates.

The new service, known as Sovereign AI Compute, combines Core42’s AI cloud infrastructure with e& UAE’s national telecommunications network, enterprise connectivity and professional services. The companies said the offering would allow customers to train, fine-tune and deploy AI models while keeping sensitive data and computing workloads within the country.

The platform represents the first commercial offering under a wider partnership between the two companies. It is aimed at organizations that need advanced computing capacity but may not want to build and operate their own costly GPU infrastructure.

Bringing GPU Capacity Closer to UAE Organizations

Demand for graphics processing units has risen sharply as companies move beyond small AI experiments and begin deploying generative AI, machine learning and automated decision-making systems in day-to-day operations. Access to sufficient computing capacity, however, remains a hurdle for many organizations, particularly those handling regulated or confidential information.

Under the partnership, Core42 will provide access to its Sovereign AI Cloud, including a mix of AI accelerators capable of supporting model training, fine-tuning and inference. e& UAE will connect customers to that infrastructure through dedicated, high-bandwidth networks and provide local commercial and technical support.

The resulting service is positioned as an alternative to purchasing and maintaining physical GPU servers. Large AI installations can require substantial upfront spending, specialist engineers and lengthy deployment periods. By offering capacity as a managed service, the partners are seeking to shorten the path from an initial AI project to a working production system.

The platform will operate through UAE-based data centers. Core42 said the infrastructure includes AI-optimized networking, scalable storage and orchestration tools, alongside controls intended to support local data residency and compliance requirements.

Esam Mahmoud, Senior Vice President, SMB Sales and Marketing, e& UAE, said: "AI is becoming a key part of how organisations operate. Through our collaboration with Core42, we are enabling UAE enterprises and government entities a simpler, faster and more secure way to access sovereign GPU infrastructure, connect their data and operationalise AI at scale. This directly supports the UAE’s vision to build an AI-native economy and advance the national agentic AI agenda by enabling organisations to deploy intelligent systems that can analyse, decide and act with greater speed and confidence. The value of this platform is not only AI compute; it is the combination of AI infrastructure, private connectivity, local support and a practical route to production.”

Data Residency Shapes the Commercial Offering

Sovereign AI generally refers to the ability of a country or organization to develop and operate AI systems under its own legal, technical and data-governance requirements. In practice, this can include keeping information inside national borders, controlling who can access it and ensuring that infrastructure is operated under local jurisdiction.

Those requirements are particularly relevant to government agencies, financial institutions, healthcare providers, energy companies and other regulated organizations. Data used by such entities may be subject to restrictions that make it difficult to transfer workloads to computing facilities in foreign markets.

Core42 and e& UAE said the service would target government, healthcare, financial services, education, energy, manufacturing, retail and industrial customers. The companies are also marketing the platform to larger enterprises that require secure connectivity between their internal systems and external GPU infrastructure.

Jaafar Al Hashmi, VP of Government Relations and Market Development, Core42, said: “AI deployment at scale demands infrastructure that can operate securely, compliantly, and with the resilience required for real-world execution. This partnership with e& UAE extends sovereign AI from foundational infrastructure into an operational capability, integrating compute, connectivity, and implementation into a single framework built for deployment. By strengthening these invisible foundations, we are enabling organisations across the UAE to move beyond AI ambition and towards sustained, production-grade execution.”

The service will give customers on-demand access to GPU infrastructure without the upfront capital investment associated with building an on-premises system.

Supporting the UAE’s Wider AI Strategy

The launch comes as the UAE continues to invest in domestic AI infrastructure and government digital transformation. The country’s National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031 identifies sectors including government services, healthcare, transport and energy as areas where AI could improve productivity and economic performance.

Core42, part of Abu Dhabi-based technology group G42, already provides cloud computing, AI infrastructure and digital services to government and enterprise customers. The company describes its sovereign cloud products as systems designed to maintain data residency and jurisdictional control while supporting advanced computing workloads.

e& UAE, the domestic telecommunications arm of e& group, contributes the connectivity layer and existing relationships with public-sector and corporate customers. Its role could make the service easier to procure and integrate, particularly for organizations that already use e& networks, cybersecurity products or managed technology services.

The companies are also introducing a related package called GPU Connect. The product will combine access to GPU resources with premium e& UAE connectivity under a single service arrangement, although technical specifications and pricing were not disclosed.

Beyond standard enterprise workloads, the broader partnership includes work on the resilience of critical AI services and national digital continuity. Core42 linked the initiative to its Signature National Disaster Recovery Cloud, an infrastructure product intended to keep important government and regulated-industry systems operating during major disruptions.

The launch adds another commercial layer to the UAE’s effort to build a locally controlled AI ecosystem. Rather than focusing solely on headline investments in data centers or advanced chips, the partnership is designed to package computing power, network access and implementation services into a product that organizations can use without constructing the underlying infrastructure themselves.