President Emmanuel Macron received his Emirati counterpart, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Thursday evening ahead of an AI summit in Paris next week that will bring together around 100 countries to focus on the potential of AI.

During a working dinner devoted to AI, Emmanuel Macron and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan expressed their « desire to create a strategic partnership, » committing to « explore collaborations on projects and investments supporting the development of the AI ​​value chain, » the Elysée Palace said, citing the acquisition of cutting-edge chips, data centers and talent development.

The February 10-11 summit also aims to put France and Europe on the AI ​​map as they attempt to compete with the United States and China, which have taken the lead in this energy-intensive technology.

« The two leaders expressed their desire to create a strategic partnership in the field of AI and committed to exploring collaborations on projects and investments supporting the development of the AI ​​value chain, » a joint French-Emirati statement said.

President Emmanuel Macron and President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan also attended the signing ceremony of the Franco-Emirati framework agreement on cooperation in artificial intelligence, signed on behalf of France by Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot and Minister of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Eric Lombard, and on behalf of the UAE by Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Member of the Abu Dhabi Council for Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies.

In a statement, the French presidency said that an announcement on the first tranche of investment, from a « consortium of Franco-Emirati champions », would be made at the Choose France 2025 Summit in May. The French government announced on Thursday that it had located 35 sites to host AI data centers.

The two leaders discussed regional and international developments and exchanged views on key issues while reaffirming their commitment to continued dialogue and collaboration.

Speaking on the close ties between the UAE and France, Sheikh Mohamed highlighted their constructive collaboration in many sectors, including energy and climate action. He noted that the two countries have maintained a comprehensive strategic partnership in the field of energy since 2022 and launched the UAE-France bilateral climate investment platform last year.

The two countries share a commitment to the responsible use of artificial intelligence for global development, as well as cooperation in protecting global heritage and other areas of mutual interest.

The two presidents reviewed the collaboration under the joint French-Emirati framework agreement, aimed at investing in a 1 GW AI campus in France and stressed their intention to create a strategic partnership in AI and underlined their commitment to explore collaboration on projects and investments that support the development of the AI ​​value chain, including investment in AI, the purchase of cutting-edge chips, data center infrastructure and talent development, and establishing virtual data embassies to enable sovereign AI and cloud infrastructure in both countries.

These investments are expected to be in the range of €30 billion to €50 billion, the French presidency said, a few days before the holding of an AI summit in Paris that will bring together world leaders and tech giants.

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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