G42 wants to persuade foreign governments to house their data in “digital embassies,” as the Abu Dhabi AI conglomerate’s commercial aspirations for massive data centers take shape. A data embassy would store information beyond a country’s physical borders but under its laws: The plan is part of an effort to pitch governments to use G42’s infrastructure and software as a hedge against natural disasters, cyber crime, and as a lower-cost alternative for countries where energy and land are more expensive, Semafor previously reported.
The move is similar to plans in Saudi Arabia. Last year, the kingdom drafted a law (not yet enacted) setting out parameters for data embassies, ranging from the guest country retaining full autonomy to hybrid legal systems in which Saudi courts could assist foreign judicial systems, CNBC reported. The concept is not new — Estonia and Monaco have digital embassies in Luxembourg — but has yet to be widely adopted.