Key figures (as of October 2026)
| Working-age population using generative AI, UAE (Q2 2026) | 73.3%, ranked 1st in the world |
| Global average | 18.8% |
| Operational data-centre capacity of the UAE's largest operator | about 300 MW, with about 370 MW more under construction or commissioning |
| Expected contracted capacity live within 12–14 months (from Aug 2026) | almost 700 MW |
| UAE–US AI Campus (planned) | 5 GW, first phase 200 MW targeted for 2026 |
| Projected AI contribution to UAE GDP by 2031 | more than US$96 billion |
The world's most AI-active economy
In the second quarter of 2026, 73.3% of the UAE's working-age population used a generative AI product. That is the highest share of any of the 147 economies tracked, and up three percentage points in a single quarter. Singapore was second at 64.3%. The global average was 18.8%. Gulf neighbours are also climbing: Qatar entered the global top ten at 43.5%, and Saudi Arabia recorded the biggest rank gain of any country, rising to 25th at 31.4%.
This lead is the product of a long policy arc. In 2017 the UAE became the first country to appoint a minister dedicated to artificial intelligence. It also founded a graduate university devoted entirely to AI. The national AI strategy to 2031 aims to embed the technology across priority sectors. In April 2026 the Cabinet announced a framework to deploy agentic AI across half of government sectors, services and operations within two years.
Building the physical layer
Usage is only half the story. AI runs on electricity, chips and cooling, and the UAE is building that infrastructure at unusual speed.
The country's largest data-centre operator runs 30 live facilities, with about 300 MW of capacity in operation and about 370 MW more under construction or commissioning. In August 2026 its leadership said almost 700 MW would be live and contracted within 12 to 14 months. In other words, capacity is already leased to customers before it is switched on. Future data halls are being designed for up to 50 MW each, and individual AI clusters could reach 250 MW.
The flagship project is the 5 GW UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi. Its first 1 GW cluster was announced in May 2025 with a global consortium of AI, cloud and chip companies. Within about a year of the announcement, two 100 MW buildings had been enclosed and equipment installation was under way inside. The first 200 MW is targeted for handover to customers in the fourth quarter of 2026. Veteran builders have described the delivery pace as without precedent for a project of this size.
Investment flows confirm the momentum. Between 2020 and 2025 the UAE attracted US$4.64 billion of greenfield foreign investment in ICT and internet infrastructure. It is also the world's second-largest outward investor in that category, at about US$70.6 billion. The country already hosts the largest number of data centres in the region.
Why it matters for the economy
AI is projected to add more than US$96 billion to UAE GDP by 2031. The benefits reach well beyond the technology sector. Government services, energy, logistics, healthcare and finance are all priority adopters. High public uptake means new tools find users quickly, and local compute gives companies and researchers access to large-scale capacity close to home.
Scenarios: the first 200 MW of the AI Campus
Probabilities are the Centre's analytical estimates.
Delivered in Q4 2026, as targeted
Handover of the first 200 MW is announced before the end of 2026. The builder has said repeatedly that it remains on track, and both 100 MW buildings were enclosed by mid-2026, with equipment installation under way inside.
Delivered in the first half of 2027
Final commissioning, grid connection and customer acceptance testing push the formal in-service announcement into early 2027. This is a common pattern for first-of-kind facilities at this scale and would still be a very fast delivery.
Later than mid-2027
Supply-chain timing for power or cooling equipment stretches the first phase into the second half of 2027. The weight is low because equipment was procured and delivered to site early.
What to watch
- An official in-service announcement for the first 200 MW of the AI Campus.
- Quarterly AI-adoption data: whether the UAE extends its lead above 75%.
- Capacity milestones: progress from about 300 MW towards the 700 MW mark during 2027.
- Power and grid announcements supporting multi-gigawatt growth on the campus.
- Government AI deployment: progress on the two-year agentic-AI framework.
Figures as of October 2026. Probabilities are analytical estimates by the Ghaf Centre for Studies & Research.