Ghana is poised to become a regional leader in AI and emerging technologies through a landmark agreement with the UAE to launch the Ghana-UAE Innovation and Technology Hub, The Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations announced in a press release.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on 29 May in Accra, brings together Ghana’s Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations (MoCDTI), the UAE’s Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), and the Abu Dhabi-based company Presight AI.
The initiative aims to create a 25-square-kilometre innovation district in Ningo-Prampram, fully funded by the UAE and supported by Dubai’s leading technology transformation experts. The Ghana-UAE Innovation and Technology Hub is expected to generate thousands of high-skilled jobs and build Ghana’s export capacity in advanced technologies and value-added services.
Presight AI, a partner in the initiative, is expected to help tailor AI solutions to Africa’s unique challenges, including in healthcare, education, agriculture and governance.
The first phase of the $1 billion project will serve as a base for artificial intelligence development, business and knowledge process outsourcing, and machine learning solutions adapted to Africa’s data ecosystem.
With land provided by the Government of Ghana, the hub is projected to attract more than 11,000 global companies, including tech giants such as Microsoft, Meta, Oracle, IBM and Alphabet.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, described the project as ‘a bold ambition grounded in mutual respect.’
‘This hub will create a space where investment meets ingenuity, where the creativity of Ghana’s youth is matched with opportunities to try,’ George said. ‘It is about building a nation where our brightest minds no longer look outwards for opportunity, but see it in their own backyards.’
PCFC Chairman Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, who also chairs global logistics firm DP World, highlighted the evolving nature of work in the age of AI and automation.
‘Today, wealth is not measured by gold or oil but by the ability to generate, implement, and scale ideas,’ Bin Sulayem noted. ‘Jobs aren’t disappearing – they’re evolving. Our people are moving from manual tasks to managing smart processes.’