Mubadala Investment Company is teaming up with US AI firm Together AI to build out artificial intelligence infrastructure in the UAE, and this matters if you care about where the Gulf’s tech ambitions are headed next. The two announced their partnership on Tuesday, with Together AI set to open a base in Abu Dhabi.
This is not a random handshake. It builds on a deal from earlier this year, when Mubadala put $100 million into Together AI’s Series C funding round on July 1, 2026. That round also pulled in other major global tech and financial investors. Now, the relationship is moving from “investor” to “infrastructure partner,” which is a bigger commitment.
What does this mean for AI in Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE?
Together AI isn’t a household name yet, but in AI circles it’s known for something specific: running AI models fast and efficiently. Founded in 2022 and based in San Francisco, the company offers what’s called a “full-stack AI platform.” In plain terms, that means it handles everything from the heavy computing power behind AI, to shaping and fine-tuning models, to making those models actually usable by developers. This is often called “inference” work, which is simply the process of an AI model generating answers or outputs once it has been trained.
By setting up a physical presence in Abu Dhabi, Together AI plans to bring that inference and research capability closer to the region. That’s a meaningful shift. Right now, a lot of AI processing for companies in the Gulf happens on servers located far away, often in the US or Europe. Having that capability closer to home can mean faster response times, easier compliance with local rules, and more opportunities for homegrown developers and startups to build on top of serious AI infrastructure without looking abroad.
For Mubadala, this fits into a broader strategy. The firm runs a dedicated UAE Investments Platform, and this partnership falls under that umbrella. It’s part of a pattern of the UAE positioning itself not just as a user of AI technology, but as a place where that technology actually gets built, hosted and researched.
Why should businesses and developers in the GCC pay attention?
If you’re a developer, a startup founder, or a business leader anywhere in the UAE or the wider GCC region, this kind of announcement is worth watching closely. AI infrastructure is becoming the backbone of a lot of modern business, from customer service tools to financial analysis to product design. The more local infrastructure exists, the lower the barrier becomes for regional companies to build their own AI-powered products instead of relying entirely on foreign platforms.
It also signals confidence from a serious global player. Together AI didn’t just take an investment check from Mubadala and move on. It’s now planning to set up shop physically in Abu Dhabi, which suggests the company sees real, sustained demand for its services across the UAE and surrounding markets. That’s a vote of confidence in the region’s appetite for AI tools, not just as consumers, but as a hub.
For anyone following technology news out of the UAE, this deal is another data point in a much larger story: the Gulf, and Abu Dhabi specifically, is trying hard to become a genuine AI infrastructure hub, not just a market where foreign AI companies sell their products. Mubadala’s involvement, backed by its earlier $100 million stake in Together AI, shows this isn’t a one-off marketing move but part of an ongoing investment strategy.
What happens next is worth watching. The partnership is still described as exploring opportunities, so the exact scale, timeline and specific projects haven’t been spelled out yet. As reported by GCC Business News, the collaboration is focused on bringing Together AI’s research and inference capabilities closer to regional developers. For now, the clearest takeaway is this: more serious AI infrastructure is heading to Abu Dhabi, and that could shape how businesses across the UAE and GCC build and use AI in the years ahead.
