Gulf sovereign wealth is storming into the top ranks of artificial intelligence investing as the global race for AI supremacy accelerates. Its latest move: backing Anthropic, the Claude chatbot maker and one of the world’s most valuable startups.
Abu Dhabi-backed MGX and the Qatar Investment Authority joined a $30 billion funding round for Anthropic, valuing the startup at $380 billion. The round was co-led by MGX, D. E. Shaw Ventures, Dragoneer, Founders Fund and ICONIQ, and spearheaded by Singapore’s GIC and Coatue.
QIA, which participated in Anthropic’s $13 billion raise last year, returned for the latest round alongside dozens of global investors. The deal ranks among the largest private capital infusions into an AI developer, highlighting both the rising costs and strategic weight of building frontier models.
From Abu Dhabi to Doha, sovereign funds are accelerating bets on AI, semiconductors, data centres and advanced software as they diversify beyond hydrocarbons. The UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have launched multibillion-dollar platforms to back AI champions and expand compute capacity, anchoring themselves across the global technology value chain.
MGX’s Recent Investments:
- Backed by Abu Dhabi’s $330 billion Mubadala Investment Co. and AI firm G42, the investment positions MGX at the heart of the U.S. tech and media ecosystem, reinforcing its role in Abu Dhabi’s global AI ambitions.
- Last year, MGX joined OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle in backing Stargate, a $500 billion initiative to expand AI infrastructure. It also supported Elon Musk’s xAI fundraising, partnered with BlackRock and Microsoft on a $30 billion energy-efficient data centre project, and participated in BlackRock’s $40 billion acquisition of Aligned Data Centers.
- Beyond AI, MGX took a 15% stake in TikTok’s U.S. operations, and invested $2 billion in Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange.
QIA’s Recent Investments:
- The $580 billion sovereign fund has ramped up tech investments, joining two Anthropic rounds and partnering with Blue Owl Capital on a $3 billion data-centre venture and with Brookfield on a $20 billion AI infrastructure push.
- Last month, QIA participated in Elon Musk’s AI startup xAI’s $20 billion funding round.
- This week, the fund joined a $5 billion raise for AI analytics firm Databricks and a $520 million round for humanoid robotics startup Apptronik.
📌 Why it matters:
Gulf sovereign wealth funds are rapidly emerging as major financiers in the AI ecosystem, gaining influence over some of the world’s most valuable startups. Their investments mark a strategic pivot from energy to technology and a bid to shape the future architecture of AI infrastructure globally.
📌 Bottom line:
With multibillion-dollar stakes in frontier AI firms, Gulf investors are positioning themselves as central players in the next phase of the global AI race, combining financial clout with strategic influence in technology and innovation.
Related Stories:
- Qatar Wealth Fund Backs Humanoid Startup Apptronik, Databricks as Gulf Investors Ramp Up Tech Spending
- Abu Dhabi’s Top AI Firm G42 Leads $1 Billion Drive to Build Data Centers in Vietnam
- Abu Dhabi’s MGX Takes a Front-Row Board Seat as TikTok’s US Power Play Unfolds
- Mideast Investors Courted by ChatGPT Maker as Altman Explores $50 Billion Fundraising
