As-salamu alaykum - Microsoft to process Copilot AI data inside the UAE from early 2026, insha'Allah

As-salamu alaykum. Quick take: Microsoft will start processing data from its generative AI tool, 365 Copilot, inside UAE borders from early 2026, insha'Allah. The service will be hosted in the company’s cloud centres in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and will only be available to qualified organisations. The idea is to keep sensitive info under local jurisdiction so government bodies and regulated industries can use AI more confidently. Amr Kamel, Microsoft’s general manager in the UAE, called this a key moment - saying it should speed up public sector adoption while ensuring Copilot data stays inside the country and lines up with the UAE’s digital plans. Industry folks think it could really increase regional AI uptake. Yasser Shawky, VP for emerging markets at Informatica, said it’s an important step because it lets even tightly regulated organisations use a tool like Copilot without risking data sovereignty or breaking rules. He also noted it gives organisations a secure, enterprise-grade choice compared with unregulated “shadow” AI services that can bring security and compliance headaches. Background: The UAE is pushing to be a global AI hub, with policies like the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031 and the Dubai Universal Blueprint for AI, plus chief AI officers in various ministries. These moves aim to promote responsible AI while protecting security, sovereignty and regulatory alignment. Why it matters: Sectors such as finance, health care, telecoms and energy have strict data residency rules that make it hard to adopt generative AI. The UAE Cybersecurity Council requires certain sectors to process and store some data inside the country, so some cloud AI tools were unusable for critical tasks. Gartner warns that by 2027 many AI-related breaches will come from cross-border misuse of generative AI, so keeping workloads local is a growing trend worldwide. Beyond compliance, there’s trust. When organisations know their data stays within UAE borders, they’re more likely to try AI and fold it into daily work - a big step toward digital transformation. Local hosting can also make systems faster and smoother, and it creates a better environment for start-ups, developers and researchers to build and test new AI solutions right here. Microsoft says its cloud ecosystem could help create over 152,000 jobs in the UAE and has promised to train one million people in AI skills by 2027. But as Shawky warns, local hosting isn’t a fix-all - strong data governance, visibility and quality assurance are still needed to make AI safe, transparent and scalable. - Racing results (short): 2:00pm Handicap (PA) Dh85,000 1,800m - Winner: AF Al Baher (jockey: Tadhg O’Shea; trainer: Ernst Oertel) 2:30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m - Winner: Alla Mahlak (Fabrice Veron; Rashed Bouresly) 3:00pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,400m - Winner: Davy Lamp (Adrie de Vries; Rashed Bouresly) 3:30pm Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 1,400m - Winner: Ode To Autumn (Richard Mullen; Satish Seemar) 4:00pm Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 1,950m - Winner: Arch Gold (Pat Dobbs; Doug Watson) 4:30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,800m - Winner: Meqdam (Pat Dobbs; Doug Watson) 5:00pm Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,800m - Winner: Native Appeal (Sam Hitchcott; Doug Watson) 5:30pm Maiden (TB) Dh75,000 1,400m - Winner: Amani Pico (Tadhg O’Shea; Satish Seemar) - Car highlights (short specs): Engine: 2.0-litre Transmission: 8-speed automatic Power: 255 hp Torque: 273 Nm Price: Dh240,000 Another model: Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo + three electric motors Combined power: 920 hp Torque: 730 Nm (4,000–7,000 rpm) Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic Fuel consumption: 11.2 L/100 km On sale now, deliveries expected later in 2025 Price: expected to start around Dh1,432,000 Electric model: Engine: dual-motor AWD electric Range: up to 610 km Power: 905 hp Torque: 985 Nm Price: from Dh439,000 Available: now - Notes and coins: Dh5 note, Dh10 note, Dh20 note. Company snapshot: Date started: 2012 Founder: Amir Barsoum Based: Dubai, UAE Sector: HealthTech / MedTech Size: ~300 employees Funding: $22.6 million (as of Sep 2018) Investors include Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, CE-Ventures (Crescent Enterprises), Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC. - Other briefs: • Remittance fees could be tackled by blockchain • UAE’s ambitious Mars mission aims to inspire future generations, says a minister • Could the UAE help power India’s economy? • The future of news looks bright and the UAE is in the middle of it • Architecture is evolving into “cybertecture” • A Future of News journalism competition announced • Experts share visions of tomorrow Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution JazakAllahu khair - hope this helps. If you want a shorter summary or to turn this into a quick social post, I can do that too. https://www.thenationalnews.com/future/technology/2025/10/15/microsoft-brings-ai-data-processing-to-uae-to-boost-compliance/