Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence powerhouse G42 has been named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025, marking a historic first for a UAE company.
The recognition places G42 among global giants like Microsoft, Nintendo, Alibaba, SoftBank, BlackRock, and ByteDance, highlighting the growing global impact of Middle East-born innovation in advanced technology and AI.
Founded in 2018, the firm has rapidly scaled to become one of the most ambitious AI and cloud computing firms globally, with backing from Mubadala Investment Company, Silverlake, Microsoft, and The Dalio Family Office.
Driving Global AI Expansion
In 2023, G42 secured a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, accelerating its international ambitions and fortifying the UAE’s position as a leading global tech hub. The deal also included a $1 billion fund for developer support aimed at expanding the Middle East’s AI talent base.
Last month, the company announced a groundbreaking partnership with OpenAI, Oracle, and Nvidia to build Stargate UAE, what is expected to be the largest AI infrastructure outside the United States.
The 1-gigawatt computing cluster will be located in the newly launched UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi.
As TIME noted: “With plans for Europe’s first giga-scale AI supercomputer and other projects under way in Kenya and the US, G42’s footprint is now global.”
G42: Expanding Global Presence
The AI giant is also expanding into Europe and Africa, with new divisions like G42 Europe & UK, and a $1 billion joint investment in Kenya’s digital ecosystem. Other strategic moves include partnerships with France’s Mistral AI and Italian startup iGenius to advance supercomputing and large language model (LLM) infrastructure across continents.
In its seventh anniversary celebration this week, G42 featured virtual appearances from Microsoft President Brad Smith and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, underscoring its global alliances and strategic relevance.
A Region on the Rise
The TIME100 list reflects the growing influence of MENA-based enterprises. Saudi Arabia’s Diriyah Company, the developer behind a $63.2 billion heritage-led city project near Riyadh, was also included this year.
It joins G42 and last year’s Saudi honoree Aramco, signaling a regional transformation driven by innovation, culture, and sustainability.
With Stargate UAE underway and major AI infrastructure being deployed globally, G42 is firmly positioned as a central architect of the world’s next digital era.
