The United Arab Emirates has pledged to invest €40 billion ($46 billion) in Germany, with digital infrastructure — including new AI data centers — forming a central part of the commitment.
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan traveled to Berlin for a state visit this week, holding talks with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. A joint declaration issued by the two leaders characterized the visit as arriving at a "defining moment for both countries and for the wider international order."
The investment package spans digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence and energy, the German government said. Among the components is a build-out of new data centers totaling around 1 gigawatt of capacity, with Germany pledging to support the conditions needed to bring those facilities online.
The two sides also unveiled 29 commercial agreements between Emirati and German firms, with a combined value exceeding €9.3 billion. A German-Emirati investment council is to be established as a platform to advance investment and strengthen cooperation between the public and private sectors, the German government said.
The fresh commitment sits alongside the UAE's pre-existing footprint in Germany, estimated at around €34 billion and spanning holdings in sectors such as chemicals and renewable energy, according to Reuters. Bilateral non-oil trade between the two countries reached $15.5 billion in 2025.
UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber described Germany as "an important strategic and economic partner for decades" and said the new investment signals the UAE's ambition "to invest in that relationship for the years ahead."
The two sides also agreed to deepen cooperation on security, defense, and energy. Germany also extended new traffic rights to Emirates, the UAE's flagship carrier, opening the door for the airline to launch scheduled flights on the Berlin–Dubai route, according to Reuters.
The deal is part of a broader wave of large-scale AI infrastructure investment sweeping Europe. The E.U. launched a call for tenders to establish up to seven AI gigafactories across the continent, a roughly €30 billion initiative pairing public funding with private investment to expand the bloc's computing capacity. Earlier this year, SoftBank Group committed up to €75 billion to develop 5 gigawatts of AI data center capacity in France.