Cisco and Abu Dhabi–based G42 have expanded their collaboration to build a large-scale, secure AI infrastructure featuring AMD’s new Instinct MI350X GPUs. The deployment, announced jointly in San Jose and Abu Dhabi, aligns with the US–UAE AI Acceleration Partnership and marks a major milestone in establishing trusted, sovereign AI capabilities across the region.
The new AI cluster will run within G42’s Regulated Technology Environment (RTE), a governance and compliance framework designed to ensure that advanced compute systems operate with strict safeguards against unauthorized access or misuse. Cisco will serve as the technology integrator, delivering its full-stack, secure AI infrastructure—spanning compute, networking, optics, security, storage, observability, and analytics—to support the UAE’s growing demand for large-scale AI workloads.
This collaboration builds upon earlier US–UAE joint projects, including the 1GW Stargate UAE cluster and the 5GW UAE–US AI technology campus announced during President Trump’s 2025 visit. The initiative is also supported by U.S. government agencies and will proceed following regulatory clearance.
• Cisco will power, connect, and secure G42’s new AI cluster featuring AMD Instinct MI350X GPUs.
• The deployment includes Cisco UCS 885A servers, Nexus 9K 800G switches, Firepower 4200 firewalls, Nexus Dashboard, Intersight automation, and Cisco optics.
• G42’s Regulated Technology Environment provides sovereign compliance and security oversight for advanced compute systems.
• The initiative reinforces the US–UAE AI Acceleration Partnership’s goals of building secure, high-performance, and trusted AI infrastructure.
• Only 25% of UAE organizations currently have sufficient GPU capacity, highlighting the importance of this buildout.
Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said: “This collaboration with Cisco represents the next phase of deepening trust and technological alignment between the US and UAE under the AI Acceleration Partnership. It reinforces our shared commitment to building high-performance, secure, sovereign and compliant AI infrastructure that enables global innovation while upholding the highest standards of governance.”
🌐 Analysis: Cisco’s expanded role with G42 cements its presence in sovereign AI infrastructure, a domain that blends hyperscale computing with national security imperatives. The addition of AMD’s MI350X GPUs deepens U.S. technology integration into G42’s ecosystem, complementing similar moves by HPE, Oracle, and NVIDIA to support the UAE’s AI ambitions through regulated and transparent partnerships.
G42, headquartered in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is a privately held technology group founded in 2018 that focuses on artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure. Chaired by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and led by CEO Peng Xiao, G42 operates across multiple sectors through subsidiaries such as Core42 for AI and cloud platforms, M42 for healthcare, and Khazna Data Centers for digital infrastructure. Its core “Intelligence Grid” integrates compute, cloud, data, and connectivity to power AI solutions spanning healthcare, energy, government, and national-scale digital transformation. Backed by Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth ecosystem, including Mubadala Investment Company, G42 has secured major partnerships with Microsoft— which invested $1.5 billion in 2024— and with Cisco for AI infrastructure modernization. The company has expanded globally with the formation of G42 Europe & UK in 2025 and the establishment of G42 USA, positioning itself as a leading architect of sovereign and enterprise-scale AI infrastructure.
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