Italy and the United Arab Emirates are significantly intensifying their strategic alliance, with a renewed focus on critical areas including artificial intelligence (AI), data centers, energy interconnectivity, and joint initiatives across Africa.
This reinforced partnership aims to bolster Italy’s digital infrastructure and attract substantial Emirati investment, while collaboratively expanding technological influence into the African continent.
The initiative was notably advanced during a bilateral meeting in Rome between Italy’s Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimi, held on the sidelines of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025. Their discussions underscored a mutual commitment to translating existing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) into concrete operational tools.
Italy’s Eni, a global integrated energy company, and the UAE’s Khazna Data Centers, a leader in hyperscale digital infrastructure, have signed a Heads of Terms agreement. This agreement sets the stage for a Joint Venture dedicated to developing a massive 500 MW AI Data Center Campus in Ferrera Erbognone, Lombardy, Italy. This ambitious project is part of a broader strategic partnership launched in February 2025, which aims to install an overall IT capacity of up to 1 GW in Italy.
A significant dimension of the renewed partnership is its focus on Africa, particularly through Italy’s “Mattei Plan”. Under its G7 presidency, Italy has launched the “AI Hub for Sustainable Development” with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and African partners.
This hub is envisioned as a “beacon of innovation” and a bridge connecting Italy, Europe, and Africa, with the ambitious goal of supporting 500 African startups by 2028 and catalyzing numerous high-impact public-private partnerships. This aligns seamlessly with the UAE’s growing interest and investments in Africa, creating potential for robust trilateral cooperation.
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