Abu Dhabi's G42 and France's Mistral AI team up for AI infrastructure development

Partnership involves training AI models and system development across Middle East, Europe and Global South

Arthur Mensch, co-founder and chief executive of Mistral AI (centre), Eric Xing, president of the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, (left) and Peng Xiao, group chief executive of G42. Photo: G42Show less

UAE artificial intelligence company G42 and France's Mistral AI have teamed up to develop advanced platforms and infrastructure for the technology, marking the second major AI deal between the two countries this week.

The partnership involves training AI models and system development meant for industry-specific operations across the Middle East, Europe and the Global South, the companies said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

The Global South – which includes countries in Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and Oceania, but excludes Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – has emerged economically due to advancements in investments and technology.

Abu Dhabi's G42 and Paris-based Mistral will also explore opportunities to promote each other’s services in their existing and international markets, they said. The partnership emphasises the "new model" of AI development, which "balances sovereignty with interoperability and ambition with accountability", Peng Xiao, group chief executive of G42, said in the statement.

“We’re not just building technology, we’re laying the groundwork for a digitally interdependent future where trust and transparency are non-negotiable," he said.

As part of the agreement, Mistral AI will collaborate with Abu Dhabi's Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence on research and development in AI foundation models, talent development and real-world AI solutions.

This will advance AI technology in energy efficiency and safety, said Eric Xing, president of MBZUAI.

G42 has been at the forefront of the UAE’s AI growth strategy and has led efforts by Abu Dhabi to elevate the country's technology sector globally.

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The deal comes after Monday's announcement that MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm for AI, and AI chip leader Nvidia were to build the largest AI campus in Europe, along with French companies.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Paris in February, where investment in an AI campus in France was discussed. The UAE and France have maintained a Comprehensive Strategic Energy Partnership since 2022.

G42 was this month reported to be embarking on an expansion in the US and, before the arrival of US President Donald Trump to the UAE, the company signed an initial agreement with US technology company Cisco to explore AI infrastructure development across the public and private sectors.

In 2023, G42 unveiled a new entity, Core42, which merged three of its key units – G42 Cloud, its research and development arm Inception, and ICT unit Injazat – to focus on delivering AI solutions and services on a national scale.

At the Gitex Global technology summit that year, G42 announced a partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, focusing on using its models in areas where G42 operates, including financial services, energy, health care and public services.

More major partnerships with AI bellwethers were announced last year. In April, G42 received a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, which will help to further boost the company's global expansion plans and strengthen the UAE's position as a global technology hub.

In September, G42 partnered with Nvidia to develop AI solutions aimed at enhancing the accuracy of weather forecasting globally, driving advanced climate solutions through Nvidia’s Earth-2 platform that can make climate and weather predictions with interactive, AI-augmented, high-resolution simulations.

G42's moves are in line with the UAE’s aim to become a global AI leader, continuing to tap into new-age technologies. The Emirates has attracted interest for its potential to become a global AI hub and has pivoted towards partnerships with technology companies from the West.

The alliance with G42 "accelerates ... [and] also ensures that the benefits of AI extend beyond traditional tech hubs", said Arthur Mensch, co-founder and chief executive of Mistral AI.