Chinese technology company Alibaba announced plans to enlarge its data centre facilities in the United Arab Emirates over the next 12 months as part of an international cloud and artificial intelligence expansion. Detailed during the annual Apsara Conference in Hangzhou, the UAE buildout is designed to meet growing regional demand for enterprise AI models and localized computing infrastructure. Alibaba Chief Executive Eddie Wu stated that the group is targeting more than 20 gigawatts of worldwide data centre capacity by 2032.
Alongside the UAE expansion, Alibaba announced new cloud regions in Turkey, Finland, and the Netherlands, as well as capacity expansions in France and Germany. The company also unveiled a new proprietary AI processor called Zhenwu V900, designed to support AI models scaling up to 10 trillion parameters.
Separately, Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) announced programme details for the fifth edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW) 2026, scheduled to take place from 7–10 December 2026 under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Organisers reported that more than 300 chairmen and CEOs representing over USD 61 trillion in assets are confirmed to attend. The 2026 event will include dedicated forums and dialogues focused on cross-border business with China, South Korea, the European Union, and the United States, alongside media collaborations including Yicai.
Under the theme 'The Capital Community, Powered by Partnerships', ADFW 2026 will expand from 60 events across six stages in 2025 to 75 events across eight stages, adding platforms such as the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Summit and an expanded Global Financial Regulators Summit featuring participants from over 50 countries. ADGM Chairman Ahmed Jasim Al Zaabi stated that the platform aims to convene global capital and facilitate long-term cross-border partnership opportunities.
Sources
- The Straits Times · 2026-09-25
