# In the presence of Mansour bin Zayed etisalat launches project to expand digital infrastructure within the UAE and abroad to increase international connectivity to more than 500 Tbps by 2030

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/in-the-presence-of-mansour-bin-zayed-etisalat-launches-project-to-expand-digital-infrastructure-within-the-uae-and-abroad-to-increase-international-connectivity-to-more-than-500-tbps-by-2030
- Published: 2026-10-06T15:42:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

_More than 500 Tbps of international connectivity is 25 times today’s capacity_

ABU DHABI, UAE, Oct. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed
Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential
Court, today witnessed the launch of etisalat’s strategic project to develop and
expand digital infrastructure capacity within the UAE and abroad, enhancing the 
country’s readiness for the increasing demands of AI and strengthening its position
on the global digital stage.

[⌊etisalat Headquarters⌉⌊etisalat Headquarters⌉[
etisalat Headquarters

His Highness, in his capacity as Chairman of the Emirates Investment Authority (
EIA), the main shareholder in etisalat group, was briefed on the group’s plans and
future projects to develop digital infrastructure crucial to meeting accelerated
growth in AI technologies and the digital economy.

The project includes plans to expand international connectivity capacity to more
than 500 terabits per second (Tbps) by 2030, an increase of over twenty-five times
of the current capacity, in addition to developing diverse routes designed to enhance
connectivity efficiency and reliability, delivering advanced, low-latency performance.

His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan emphasised the importance of investing
in digital infrastructure as a fundamental pillar for supporting emerging technologies
and enabling a knowledge-based, innovation-driven economy. His Highness also stressed
the importance of coordinated national efforts and the role of national institutions
in advancing the UAE’s AI ambitions and digital economy.

**H****is Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime
Minister, and Chairman of the Presidential Court****,** said: "The UAE continues
to invest in building advanced digital infrastructure, guided by its vision for 
the future and its belief that readiness for what comes next starts with having 
the enablers that support economic growth, accelerate innovation and strengthen 
the country’s global competitiveness.

**His Highness** added: "AI is a central pillar in our development journey moving
forward and developing our digital capabilities creates the ecosystem needed to 
harness its potential and ensure that every institution in this country, public 
and private, are empowered to build and innovate with AI, at the scale the coming
decade will demand, with absolute confidence in the efficiency of the infrastructure
beneath it."

**His Highness** concluded that the UAE’s ambition extends beyond merely keeping
pace with technological transformations. The country aspires to actively contribute
to the creation and development of these technologies, noting that high-impact projects
in digital infrastructure enhance the country’s readiness for the future and cement
its position as a global hub for advanced technology and AI.

**His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan** also witnessed the launch of
etisalat’s 50th anniversary celebrations, unveiling the group’s new vision to become
a leading AI-powered and enabling telco as it steps forward under ‘etisalat’ – the
name trusted by its customers for fifty years.

This project is the group’s first major commitment under its new strategy, which
is built around four business engines: telco, AI and business solutions, infrastructure,
and fintech.

**His Excellency Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Alzaabi**, **Chairman of etisalat group,**
said: "This project reflects our conviction that the UAE should not simply adopt
AI, but govern it and build with it. That requires digital infrastructure at a scale
that would prepare us for the future."

**His Excellency** added: "Moving international connectivity from 20 terabits per
second to more than 500 is a strategic step to address the growing challenges facing
global data processing and data flow, particularly given the tremendous advancements
in AI, and enhances the flexibility and reliability of the infrastructure to meet
the requirements of UAE’s AI campuses, global cloud providers, and the group’s operations
and customers across its markets. Delivered through diversified routes and low-latency
design, the project is set to keep the country’s connection to the global digital
economy fast, direct and resilient, while ensuring the UAE’s digital sovereignty."

**His Excellency** concluded: "This is the same commitment that has guided this 
group for fifty years. We marked that anniversary this week by setting out what 
the next era asks of us, and this project is our answer. In every generation of 
technology, etisalat has built the infrastructure the nation depends on, ensuring
high flexibility and resiliency across all our markets. AI is the defining technology
of this generation, and the principle has not changed."

etisalat group operates across 38 countries and serves more than 250 million subscribers,
giving the project reach well beyond the UAE and connecting national infrastructure
directly to the global digital ecosystem.

The project also supports the UAE’s ambition to become a global hub for advanced
technology and AI, reinforcing the nation’s digital competitiveness and enabling
public and private institutions to deploy AI at scale with confidence in the infrastructure
that carries it.

[⌊His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and etisalat Leadership team⌉⌊
His Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and etisalat Leadership team⌉[
His Highness
Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and etisalat Leadership team

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