The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is heavily investing in digital infrastructure as part of its AI strategy, which could lead to a potential economic gain of $150bn for its constituent economies. This push is creating new opportunities, particularly in light of the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
The GCC's regulatory environment is designed to facilitate AI deployment, with data centre projects reportedly opening for business within 18-24 months, significantly faster than the 36-72 months typically seen in the US. Comprehensive AI adoption is also expected to help close the GCC’s productivity gap and increase industrial output.
The UAE, a member of the GCC, has seen its AI usage more than double from 10% in 2023 to 27% in 2024, reaching 56% in 2025. Since 2024, the UAE has invested over $147bn in AI and is collaborating on Stargate UAE, a $500bn data centre project planned to be the largest outside the US.
Saudi Arabia is also leveraging its energy infrastructure to become a significant force in AI. Its AI-powered operating systems firm, Humain, secured a $3bn deal with Blackstone to build up to six gigawatts in data centre capability by 2034.
Julian David, CEO of techUK, noted that the UK-GCC FTA is moving towards long-term strategic cooperation between advanced digital economies, with the free flow of data being a key consideration. He highlighted London and the wider UK ecosystem as one of the world's three epicentres of AI innovation.