Meeting the energy needs of data centres has become a major challenge for global technology companies, directly impacting the development of smart and sustainable cities. As competition for energy grows, providers are increasing production and adopting more renewable sources.
HE Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, said: “The world is currently undergoing a delicate phase in which the demands of the digital revolution and artificial intelligence intersect with the urgent need to ensure energy security and sustainability. In the UAE, guided by the vision of our wise leadership, we are working to build an advanced energy ecosystem capable of meeting the growing needs of data centres and technological transformation projects, without compromising our sustainability goals. Therefore, the UAE has adopted an ambitious path aimed at increasing the share of clean energy to 35% by 2030, tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, achieving one of the lowest grid emission factors globally and enhancing energy consumption efficiency.”
Al Mazrouei continued: “The efforts undertaken by the UAE form a central pillar and a fundamental cornerstone in strengthening the green economy based on innovation. They reinforce the country’s position as a global model capable of balancing technological advancement with environmental responsibility, ensuring sustainable development and a more competitive economy for the future.”
HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Managing Director & CEO of Dubai Electricity & Water Authority (DEWA), said: “Thanks to the forward-looking vision of HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the UAE is experiencing remarkable advancements in energy and AI infrastructure. These efforts keep the nation at the forefront of key sectors – driving sustainable development, strengthening global competitiveness and improving community well-being and quality of life. In line with Dubai’s sustainability vision, the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 and the Dubai Net Zero Carbon Emissions Strategy 2050, DEWA is implementing the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, the world’s largest single-site solar park based on the independent power producer (IPP) model. Its current capacity stands at 3,860MW and will exceed 8,000MW by 2030, far surpassing the initial target of 5,000MW. The Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park underpins Dubai’s green digital economy, supplying reliable, uninterrupted clean energy to the world’s largest solar-powered green data centre, certified by Guinness World Records and operated by Data Hub Integrated Solutions (Moro Hub), a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of DEWA.”
Al Tayer added: “We adopt disruptive Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, including AI, across our services and operations, supported by our investments in advanced digital infrastructure to drive transformation. We support the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, and promote the integration of AI across various vital sectors. To boost productivity and efficiency, we are implementing AI technologies across DEWA’s electricity and water production, transmission and distribution networks. DEWA is the first government entity in the UAE to obtain the ISO/IEC TR 24028:2020 certification for trustworthiness in AI.”
With AI becoming widespread across sectors comes increased demand for power due to large-scale models requiring significant computing resources. This puts pressure on existing infrastructure. The UAE addresses this challenge through investments in both advanced technology infrastructure as well as clean energy.
A McKinsey study indicates that among Gulf countries https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/overview/in-the-news/the-state-of-ai-in-gcc-countries ,the UAE leads regional adoption through substantial investment in infrastructure for AI technologies. An Emirates NBD report also highlights significant spending on clean energy projects https://www.emiratesnbdresearch.com/research/article/?a=uae-clean-energy-ambitions-3207 . According to MEED Projects data from July 2025 https://www.meed.com/, there are currently 25 active projects worth $28.2 billion underway in renewables within UAE; these projects are expected to add nearly 21 gigawatts—an increase representing about 38% over current national generation capacity—with solar making up more than half.
Global technology companies face mounting challenges powering their data centres amid rising demand from applications like generative AI models. Microsoft reports that limited access to adequate power supply is now a bigger obstacle than chip shortages when expanding new facilities quickly enough; it sees solar as an effective solution due its scalability.
Google disclosed that each prompt sent via its Gemini app uses about 0.24 watt-hours—roughly equivalent to watching television for less than nine seconds—and requires minimal water cooling per interaction; though small individually these figures scale up significantly given billions processed daily.
OpenAI has signed deals worth billions for chips needed to maintain competitiveness in generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT; it recently committed to purchasing computing capacity equivalent to about twenty nuclear reactors.
The experience highlighted by officials suggests that integrating clean energy with artificial intelligence can provide both environmental sustainability benefits while enabling economic growth—a model being actively pursued by policymakers within United Arab Emirates.
“The most important lesson that the UAE experience offers us stands out: building the digital future cannot be achieved through fragmented efforts but rather requires an integrated holistic vision that unites infrastructure legislation and human resources within a single collaborative framework,” concludes one statement from officials.
