etisalat Launches Digital Infrastructure Expansion Project in UAE and Abroad

etisalat has launched a strategic project to expand its digital infrastructure within the UAE and internationally, with plans to increase international connectivity capacity to more than 500 terabits per second (Tbps) by 2030.

The project, launched in the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court, will increase international connectivity from the current 20 Tbps to more than 500 Tbps, representing an increase of more than 25 times.

The expansion will also include diversified connectivity routes designed to improve reliability and provide low-latency performance as demand from artificial intelligence, cloud computing and the wider digital economy increases.

H.H. Sheikh Mansour, who also serves as Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority (EIA), the main shareholder in etisalat group, was briefed on the group’s plans to expand the digital infrastructure supporting the growth of AI technologies and the digital economy.

“The UAE continues to invest in building advanced digital infrastructure, guided by its vision for the future and its belief that readiness for what comes next starts with having the enablers that support economic growth, accelerate innovation and strengthen the country’s global competitiveness.

“AI is a central pillar in our development journey moving forward and developing our digital capabilities creates the ecosystem needed to harness its potential and ensure that every institution in this country, public and private, are empowered to build and innovate with AI, at the scale the coming decade will demand, with absolute confidence in the efficiency of the infrastructure beneath it.”

The launch coincides with etisalat’s 50th anniversary, with the group also unveiling a new vision to become an AI-powered telecommunications company. Its strategy is structured around four business areas: telecommunications, AI and business solutions, infrastructure and fintech.

H.E. Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi, Chairman of etisalat group, said: “This project reflects our conviction that the UAE should not simply adopt AI, but govern it and build with it. That requires digital infrastructure at a scale that would prepare us for the future.”

He added: “Moving international connectivity from 20 terabits per second to more than 500 is a strategic step to address the growing challenges facing global data processing and data flow, particularly given the tremendous advancements in AI, and enhances the flexibility and reliability of the infrastructure to meet the requirements of UAE’s AI campuses, global cloud providers, and the group’s operations and customers across its markets. Delivered through diversified routes and low-latency design, the project is set to keep the country’s connection to the global digital economy fast, direct and resilient, while ensuring the UAE’s digital sovereignty.”

He concluded: “This is the same commitment that has guided this group for fifty years. We marked that anniversary this week by setting out what the next era asks of us, and this project is our answer. In every generation of technology, etisalat has built the infrastructure the nation depends on, ensuring high flexibility and resiliency across all our markets. AI is the defining technology of this generation, and the principle has not changed.”

etisalat group operates across 38 countries and serves more than 250 million subscribers. The infrastructure project is intended to support the connectivity requirements of AI campuses, global cloud providers and the group’s operations and customers across its international markets.