Prime Highlights
- The UAE Central Bank is partnering with Core42 to create a sovereign financial cloud to secure banking data and support AI services.
- The platform will enable banks to operate critical services locally while leveraging AI for automation and real-time financial analytics.
Key Facts
- The cloud will run on a centralised, highly secure infrastructure, ensuring full data sovereignty and protection against cyber threats.
- Core42, formed by G42 in 2023, focuses on national AI and cloud systems to maintain local control over critical infrastructure.
Background
The UAE Central Bank has partnered with Abu Dhabi-based Core42 to build a sovereign financial cloud designed to secure banking data and support AI-driven services across the country.
The regulator said the platform will run on a centralised, highly secure and isolated infrastructure to ensure full data sovereignty. The system will allow financial institutions to operate critical services without relying on foreign cloud environments, while maintaining constant availability and strong protection against cyber threats.
The new cloud will use artificial intelligence to automate processes and analyse financial data in real time. It will also provide a unified framework for managing multi-cloud operations, allowing banks to scale digital services more efficiently.
Officials said the project is part of a wider programme to modernise the UAE’s financial infrastructure. The central bank also released new guidelines this week on the responsible use of AI and machine learning in the banking sector. The rules aim to protect consumers and improve transparency, governance and risk control.
Saif Al Dhaheri, assistant governor for banking operations and support services, said the platform will create a secure and scalable base for next-generation digital banking. He added that it will help licensed institutions innovate while keeping national data under local control.
Core42 was formed in 2023 by G42 after merging its cloud, research, and ICT units. The company focuses on delivering AI and cloud systems at a national level. Its leadership said financial infrastructure must remain sovereign because banking depends on digital platforms.
Talal Al Kaissi, interim chief executive of Core42, said the new system will embed governance and real-time oversight into the country’s financial backbone. He added that the platform will give regulated institutions clear rules and allow them to use advanced AI tools without losing national control of data.
G42 has been expanding sovereign AI and cloud capabilities worldwide and recently introduced a model that allows countries to run AI systems under their own laws, even when infrastructure is hosted abroad.
The UAE project is expected to strengthen digital banking resilience and support future innovation across the financial sector.
