KHALED BIN MOHAMED BIN ZAYED MEETS AMD CHAIR AND CEO DR LISA SU TO EXPLORE AI COLLABORATION
Discussions focused on potential cooperation in artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, cloud computing and data-centre infrastructure, bringing together Abu Dhabi’s technology ambitions and the expertise of one of the semiconductor industry’s most influential leaders.
His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has met Dr Lisa Su, Chair and Chief Executive Officer of AMD, the global semiconductor and advanced-computing company.
The meeting explored potential avenues for collaboration in artificial intelligence and the development of technical capabilities and solutions across high-performance computing, cloud computing and data-centre infrastructure.
These areas form the underlying technological foundation upon which increasingly sophisticated AI systems are built. While generative AI applications and digital services are often the most visible elements of the industry, their operation depends upon extensive computing capacity, specialised processors, secure cloud platforms, high-speed networking and advanced data-centre systems.
The communiqué announcing the meeting did not identify a specific commercial agreement, investment commitment or implementation timetable. The discussions were instead presented as an exploration of possible collaboration between Abu Dhabi and AMD across strategically important areas of advanced technology.
AMD’S GROWING ROLE IN GLOBAL AI INFRASTRUCTURE
Advanced Micro Devices, widely known as AMD, develops processors, graphics technologies and software used across cloud computing, artificial intelligence, enterprise data centres, personal computers, gaming systems and embedded applications.
The company’s current portfolio includes AMD EPYC server processors, AMD Instinct data-centre accelerators, networking technologies and software designed to support high-performance and AI computing environments. Together, these technologies allow organisations to process increasingly large quantities of information and to train and operate complex artificial-intelligence models.
AMD’s latest financial results illustrate the rapid expansion of this side of its business. For the second quarter of 2026, the company reported record revenue of approximately US$11.5 billion, representing growth of 50 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier.
AMD’s Data Center division generated approximately US$6.7 billion during the quarter, an increase of 107 per cent year on year and equivalent to around 58 per cent of the company’s total revenue. AMD attributed the performance primarily to strong demand for its EPYC processors and Instinct graphics processing units and accelerators.
The figures demonstrate why AMD has become an increasingly important participant in discussions surrounding national AI capabilities. The development of advanced models requires far more than software alone. It also requires access to high-performance processors, secure data storage, power-efficient infrastructure, reliable networking and sufficient data-centre capacity to operate systems at scale.
For governments and major institutions, these technologies can support fields including scientific research, advanced manufacturing, financial services, healthcare analysis, energy modelling, public-sector digital services and the management of complex national infrastructure.
DR LISA SU: AN ENGINEER AT THE CENTRE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY
Dr Lisa Su is regarded as one of the most prominent engineering and corporate leaders in the international semiconductor industry.
She joined AMD in January 2012 as Senior Vice President and General Manager of the company’s Global Business Units. She subsequently served as Chief Operating Officer before becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2014 and later Chair of the company.
Before joining AMD, Dr Su held senior positions at Freescale Semiconductor, including Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President and General Manager of its Networking and Multimedia division.
Earlier in her career, she spent 13 years at IBM, where her roles included Vice President of the company’s Semiconductor Research and Development Center. She began her professional career as a member of the technical staff at Texas Instruments.
Her tenure at AMD has been closely associated with the company’s transformation into a major force in high-performance and adaptive computing. That transformation has been driven by a renewed emphasis on engineering, product development and the creation of processors capable of supporting demanding data-centre and AI workloads.
Dr Su was named TIME magazine’s Chief Executive Officer of the Year in 2024. She is also a member of the United States National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has received the IEEE Robert N. Noyce Medal, one of the semiconductor industry’s most prestigious honours.
Her relationship with Abu Dhabi’s developing AI ecosystem extends beyond this latest meeting. Dr Su serves on the Board of Trustees of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, the Abu Dhabi-based institution dedicated to graduate-level AI research and education.
The university’s Board of Trustees is chaired by His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, who also attended the meeting between His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed and Dr Su.
SUPPORTING ABU DHABI’S DIGITAL AMBITIONS
The subjects discussed during the meeting closely correspond with the priorities set out in the Abu Dhabi Government Digital Strategy 2025–2027.
The strategy is backed by an investment of AED13 billion and is intended to support Abu Dhabi’s stated ambition of becoming the world’s first fully AI-native government by 2027. Its objectives include the adoption of sovereign cloud computing across government operations, the integration of AI into public services, data-led decision-making, greater automation and the strengthening of cybersecurity and digital infrastructure.
High-performance computing and data-centre capacity are fundamental to delivering such ambitions. AI-native government systems require secure environments in which sensitive information can be stored and processed, alongside powerful computing platforms capable of operating complex applications reliably and at considerable scale.
Sovereign cloud infrastructure is particularly significant because it allows governments and regulated organisations to retain greater control over where data is stored, how it is processed and which legal and security frameworks govern its use.
Against this background, dialogue with AMD provides Abu Dhabi with an opportunity to examine how international semiconductor expertise could complement its growing domestic ecosystem of universities, technology companies, government institutions and strategic investors.
For AMD, Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE represent a rapidly developing market in which national AI programmes, sovereign computing requirements and large-scale digital infrastructure are receiving substantial institutional support.
However, the meeting should not be interpreted as confirmation of a concluded partnership. Its importance lies in the seniority of the participants and the breadth of the subjects under consideration, encompassing the processors, cloud systems and physical infrastructure required to translate artificial-intelligence strategy into practical capability.
SENIOR ABU DHABI LEADERS ATTEND MEETING
The meeting was attended by His Excellency Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority and Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala Investment Company.
Also attending was His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary General of Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Office of the Crown Prince.
Their attendance reflected both the strategic investment and executive-government dimensions of the discussions. Mubadala has long played a central role in Abu Dhabi’s international investment strategy, while Abu Dhabi Executive Council oversees the development and implementation of policies supporting the emirate’s economic and social advancement.
As global demand for AI computing continues to accelerate, access to processors, data-centre capacity, secure cloud environments and specialist technical expertise is becoming an increasingly important consideration for governments and economies.
The meeting between His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dr Lisa Su places those essential capabilities at the centre of the conversation, while opening the way for further consideration of how AMD’s technology and expertise may contribute to Abu Dhabi’s long-term digital and artificial-intelligence objectives.