New York/Doha – December 9, 2025 – In a major move signaling the Middle East's growing ambitions in artificial intelligence, Brookfield Asset Management and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund have announced a $20 billion partnership to develop cutting-edge AI infrastructure across the Gulf state and beyond.

The collaboration pairs New York-based Brookfield with Qai, a newly established AI subsidiary of the Qatar Investment Authority, the nation's $524 billion sovereign wealth fund. Together, the partners will channel capital and technical expertise into building comprehensive AI facilities designed to position Qatar as a regional technology powerhouse.

Strategic Vision for Regional Leadership

The venture is expected to play a central role in supporting Qatar's ambition to become a leading hub for AI services and infrastructure in the Middle East, with plans to construct an integrated compute center that will broaden access to high-performance computing capabilities throughout the region.

The partnership represents Brookfield's first major AI infrastructure commitment in the Middle East and forms a key pillar of the firm's broader global strategy. Brookfield will funnel investments through its recently established Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure Fund, which targets up to $100 billion in worldwide deployments.

According to Brookfield CEO Bruce Flatt, the partnership merges Qatar's strategic vision with Brookfield's global expertise in developing and operating large-scale, mission-critical infrastructure. The Toronto-based asset manager, which oversees approximately $1 trillion in assets, has emerged as one of the most active foreign investors in Gulf markets in recent years.

Building the AI Backbone

Under the agreement, both parties will contribute funding and operational know-how to develop fully integrated AI facilities in Qatar. The Qatari government is providing strategic backing to strengthen the skills pipeline and supply chain necessary to support robust AI infrastructure development throughout the country.

Beyond Qatar's borders, Brookfield and Qai plan to explore additional opportunities to co-develop AI infrastructure in selected international markets, though specific locations have not yet been disclosed.

Mohammed Saif Al-Sowaidi, CEO of QIA, emphasized that the joint venture demonstrates QIA's commitment to delivering both local and global impact while advancing Qatar National Vision 2030, the country's blueprint for building a diversified, knowledge-based economy.

Middle East AI Race Intensifies

The announcement highlights the accelerating competition among Gulf states to establish themselves as global AI centers outside the traditional U.S.-China axis. Qatar's regional neighbors have already made significant moves in this direction.

The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have established multibillion-dollar funds dedicated to AI startups and created national AI champions like Abu Dhabi's G42 and Riyadh's Humain. The QIA has been ramping up its own commitments, participating in the $13 billion funding round for Silicon Valley startup Anthropic and partnering with Blue Owl Capital Inc. on a $3 billion data-center venture.

The partnership also reflects broader trends in infrastructure investment. Brookfield has estimated the global AI infrastructure build-out will require $7 trillion over the next decade, creating massive opportunities for investors with the capital and expertise to participate.

Attracting Global Investment

Qatar's push into AI infrastructure is part of a wider strategy to attract international investors and diversify its economy beyond energy revenues. While the country is best known globally for its natural gas exports and role as a diplomatic mediator, it is now leveraging its sovereign wealth fund to encourage private equity and infrastructure firms to establish regional operations in Doha.

Qatar, as one of the world's biggest natural gas producers, benefited from increased demand for power to feed data centers, according to QIA's head of funds Mohsin Pirzada. He noted that while some companies in the sector face elevated valuations, a market consolidation would likely produce dominant players and create substantial opportunities for long-term investors.

Major financial firms including BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners and B Capital have already announced plans to open offices in Qatar, signaling growing confidence in the country's emergence as a regional investment hub.

The Brookfield-Qai partnership marks another step in that evolution, combining substantial capital with operational expertise to build infrastructure that could reshape the region's technological landscape for decades to come.