G42 introduces Digital Embassies framework for sovereign AI

Abu Dhabi-based technology group G42 has announced the launch of its Digital Embassies framework alongside Greenshield, a sovereign operating model designed to help governments deploy artificial intelligence (AI) securely, compliantly and at scale. The initiative addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing public-sector AI adoption today: how to reconcile ambitious national AI strategies with the realities of infrastructure readiness, legal sovereignty and cross-border data governance.

As governments increasingly deploy AI across public services, national security, healthcare, energy and industrial sectors, many find themselves constrained by long timelines required to build domestic sovereign cloud and datacentre capacity. While infrastructure can take years to develop, regulatory, legal and security obligations apply immediately. G42’s Digital Embassies and Greenshield are intended to bridge this gap, enabling nations to operationalise AI from day one without sacrificing sovereign control.

At the heart of the initiative is a rethinking of how digital sovereignty is defined and enforced. Digital Embassies treat sovereignty as portable, comparable to a diplomatic mission, where legal authority travels beyond national borders.

Under this model, jurisdiction and control are enforced through government-to-government legal constructs rather than being tied exclusively to the physical location of servers or datacentres. This allows workloads to run across agreed Digital Embassy environments while remaining fully subject to national laws and policies.

“Our vision is that every government, regardless of size or geography, can operationalise its digital and AI strategy with full sovereign control over its data, systems and policies, from day one,” said Omran Sharaf, assistant foreign minister for advanced science and technology. “Digital Embassies and Greenshield define a new era of governance where law and infrastructure are not in tension, but in alignment, enabling trusted AI at scale, even when infrastructure is hosted across borders.”

While Digital Embassies establish the legal and diplomatic foundation, Greenshield delivers the operational layer. Implemented by Core42, G42’s digital infrastructure arm, Greenshield translates sovereign policy into technical execution. It enforces consistent controls across identity and access management, data handling, cyber security, compliance, auditability and operational continuity, even as workloads move between different cloud or compute environments.

“Governments are clear on their sovereignty responsibilities, but they need practical ways to deploy AI today,” said Ali Al Amine, chief commercial officer of G42 International. “Digital Embassies and Greenshield provide that path. They allow nations to enforce their laws and policies from day one, while preserving flexibility over how and where infrastructure evolves.”

According to Talal Al Kaissi, interim CEO of Core42 and group chief global affairs officer at G42, Greenshield is delivered through Core42’s heterogeneous AI cloud, which already spans multiple geographies. “This includes sovereign AI clusters in North America, Europe and the UAE,” he said. “When coupled with government-to-government agreements, Greenshield enables accelerated AI workloads with sovereign controls regardless of where the infrastructure is located.”

The framework is also supported by G42’s strategic partnership with Microsoft, leveraging global cloud platforms and services where appropriate. It complements major infrastructure initiatives such as the UAE’s planned 5GW AI campus, designed to serve roughly half of the world’s population within a 3,200km radius with sub-60ms latency. Together, these assets form a resilient backbone for sovereign AI services across regions.

Beyond this announcement, the Digital Embassies initiative reflects G42’s broader role as a key driver of AI infrastructure and policy innovation in the Middle East and globally. Headquartered in Abu Dhabi, G42 has become a central pillar of the UAE’s ambition to position itself as a global AI hub, spanning cloud computing, datacentres, healthcare AI, geospatial intelligence and advanced research. Internationally, the group is expanding its footprint through partnerships, sovereign AI deployments and infrastructure investments across Europe, North America, Asia and the Global South.

Historically, digital sovereignty has depended on physical localisation. G42’s approach marks a shift, positioning sovereignty as a legal and operational status that can be consistently enforced in a distributed world. For governments, this reduces the need for heavy upfront capital investment, accelerates AI adoption and provides a more flexible path to long-term infrastructure development.

As discussions with partner nations continue at global forums such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, G42’s Digital Embassies and Greenshield are emerging as a potential blueprint for sovereign AI deployment worldwide. The model aims to ensure that AI-driven intelligence is powerful, secure and accessible, while allowing nations to retain control over their digital future in an increasingly interconnected world.