Microsoft has announced plans to invest more than $10 billion into the Gulf by 2030.

The money is earmarked for investments across the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait, and will be focused on cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

In addition, Microsoft announced that it would invest a further $400 million in undersea and terrestrial connectivity infrastructure in the Middle East by 2030.

The move has been framed as a means to bolster support for its regional partnerships in the region, including G42 in Abu Dhabi, in which it invested $1.5bn in 2024, as well as Humain in Saudi Arabia and Qai in Qatar. The company noted that while it will support the latter two companies, it does not intend to take an equity stake in them.

Microsoft also said that, as part of the investment, it would seek to support water-positivity across its Middle East operations, as well as supporting its partners in achieving the same. According to the company, this will include the advancement of water reuse, replenishment, and innovative water management solutions.

“As we expand our cloud and AI infrastructure in Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, we will do so with a focus on responsible growth. Guided by Microsoft's global goals to address carbon, water, waste, and ecosystems, we will work with our lessor partners to ensure that the cloud infrastructure supporting our services advances Microsoft's water-positive ambitions, including by prioritizing zero-water cooling technologies where feasible,” the company said in a statement.

The company also said it will seek to expand access to clean energy through collaborations with regulators, utilities, and its partners to create the market conditions needed to expand carbon-free electricity procurement and stimulate new clean energy investment.

The company noted the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East, which has seen all of the Gulf states subject to drone and missile attacks. Data centers have not been spared, with Amazon Web Services announcing earlier this month that it would not restore access to infrastructure at data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain that were attacked by Iran.

Due to the turmoil, Microsoft said that it would expand its existing commitments on data-protection sovereignty and business continuity to eligible governments “to give organizations greater confidence in how their data, systems, and operations are protected while maintaining continuity in times of uncertainty.”

The company also announced that it would support expansion of cybersecurity operations across the Gulf states, supporting governments in maintaining a high level of cybersecurity competence.

Microsoft has leveraged significant capital over recent years to bolster its Middle Eastern presence. Last year, the company committed $7.9bn in the UAE between 2026 and the end of 2029.

Some $5.5bn of this sum will be used for the "on-going and planned expansion" of Microsoft's AI and cloud infrastructure. The remaining $2.4bn will include planned operating expenses and costs of goods sold.

Microsoft has one cloud region in the UAE, launched in 2019 with three availability zones across Dubai. The company also has cloud regions in Qatar and Israel. In December 2024, the company completed construction of its Saudi Arabia cloud region, set to go live in 2026, and last year announced plans for a cloud region in Kuwait.