“G42 is working on the project with FPT Corp, a technology and telecommunications firm, and the Viet Thai Group,” the companies said in a release today.
The consortium pledged to build three data centres in Vietnam with “consumption commitments” of as much as US$1 billion, according to an agreement signed in Ho Chi Minh City.
The companies didn’t offer further details on the exact investments or a timeline for the project, or share details on how much computing capacity there will be.
The global spending spree on digital infrastructure for AI is spreading across Southeast Asia, where investors see a massive opportunity for growth.
Still, the region has limited available land and power, which has led to political issues with some plans.
Over the weekend, protesters gathered at a data centre construction site in Malaysia to express concerns about dust pollution and the potential impact on water supplies.
FPT has emerged as a critical player in Vietnam’s AI ambitions, despite facing headwinds from US tariffs on the country.
Its newest partner G42 is one of the leading Middle Eastern companies trying to diversify oil economies by plowing money into AI.
Backed by sovereign wealth and Microsoft Corp, the Abu Dhabi conglomerate controls a number of businesses from health care to cloud computing.
The company is the primary developer of OpenAI’s Stargate infrastructure project in the UAE, part of a planned 5GW data centre in the country.
While much of its work is in the Gulf monarchy, G42 is pushing abroad, with data centre and “smart city” projects across Africa and Asia.
In the US, G42 has faced political scrutiny for earlier deals with Chinese startups and equipment provider Huawei Technologies Co.
However, G42 has said it divested from Chinese assets and has since become a vocal proponent of President Donald Trump’s agenda to export American AI chips, software and models as a way to hinder China’s development.
At the World Economic Forum in January, G42 announced a framework for so-called “Digital Embassies” — a system that lets other companies develop and manage computing services on foreign soil.
G42 said the initiative will let other countries maintain “full legal authority” over AI models and data that are processed in the UAE.