Core42 and the Technology Innovation Institute have signed an agreement to advance cybersecurity for sovereign cloud and artificial intelligence systems in the UAE.
The strategic collaboration was signed at GISEC Global 2026. It brings together Core42’s sovereign-enabled cloud and AI platforms with TII’s research in cybersecurity, cryptography and trusted computing.
The partnership will explore technologies that can improve the security, resilience and compliance of digital infrastructure developed for sovereign use.
The work reflects a wider shift in how countries view digital sovereignty. Control over data location is no longer the only concern. Cloud and AI systems also need protection for workloads, models, communications, keys and underlying hardware.
Under the agreement, Core42 and TII will study the co-development, testing and deployment of security technologies across Core42’s sovereign-enabled cloud and Compass AI platform.
The technical areas include confidential computing, hardware security modules, encrypted AI inference, secure key management and data protection.
Encryption and trusted computing technologies will also form part of the work.
These tools protect different parts of a cloud and AI system. Confidential computing can help protect sensitive data while it is being processed. Hardware security modules can provide secure storage and management for cryptographic keys.
Encrypted AI inference is also becoming important as businesses use AI to process sensitive information. Organizations need ways to protect data while AI systems handle workloads.
The partnership will test these technologies within sovereign cloud and AI environments. This creates a link between cybersecurity research and practical technology platforms.
TII is the applied research arm of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council. Its cybersecurity work includes research through the Cryptography Research Center.
Core42 focuses on sovereign cloud, AI infrastructure and related digital services. Its platforms are designed for organizations that require greater control over their data, infrastructure and technology environments.
The agreement gives TII a route to evaluate its research in real cloud and AI settings. It also gives Core42 access to locally developed security technologies that could support its sovereign infrastructure.
Dr. Victor Juan Mateu, Chief Researcher at TII’s Cryptography Research Center, said the collaboration can help evaluate and advance locally developed cybersecurity and trusted-computing technologies in sovereign cloud and AI environments.
The partnership also connects directly with Core42’s Compass platform. Compass supports generative and agentic AI applications.
This means the planned security work could apply to AI environments that handle sensitive information and business workloads.
However, the agreement does not announce a new commercial product or a specific customer deployment. It also does not provide a production timeline or deployment volume.
Instead, the deal creates a framework for research, testing and possible deployment of security technologies across sovereign cloud and AI platforms.
Rajeev Nair, Senior Vice President for Special Projects at Core42, said the partnership aims to connect local research and technology development with real-world platforms and use cases.
The agreement forms part of the UAE’s broader effort to build local technology capabilities. The country has invested heavily in cloud infrastructure, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity as it seeks greater control over critical digital systems.
The focus on UAE Sovereign AI Security also highlights a growing need for protection at every layer of AI infrastructure.
Sovereign AI is not only about where data is stored. It also involves who controls the infrastructure, how information is protected and how AI workloads are executed.
For the UAE, the Core42-TII partnership could help connect local research with these practical requirements.
The next stage will depend on testing and evaluation of the technologies covered by the agreement. No specific commercial deployment has yet been confirmed.
The collaboration nevertheless establishes a pathway for UAE-developed cybersecurity and trusted-computing technologies to move from research environments into sovereign cloud and AI systems.
