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UAE expands AI footprint with Serbia data center deal

Sep 19, 2025, 8:36am EDT
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The inside of a data center.
The inside of a data center in Wisconsin. Audrey Richardson/Reuters.

Serbia is the latest pin on the map in the UAE’s push for a global AI footprint.

Technology group e& enterprise, which counts sovereign wealth fund Emirates Investment Authority as its largest shareholder, has sought international expansion as growth slows in its existing markets. The Serbian government signed a deal that includes tripling the Balkans country’s data center capacity to 40 megawatts.

The plan follows a July agreement for e& and Mubadala Investment Co. to explore data center projects in Hungary, while other digital infrastructure deals have been inked by Abu Dhabi-backed firms in France, Greece, and Italy.

A chart showing the annual profit of UAE telco e&.
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