Exclusive Interview with Mohammed Retmi, Vice President: Sovereign Public Cloud, Core42

How has GITEX been for Core42 this year? And, what are you showcasing at the event?

GITEX has been an incredible experience so far. The energy across the halls has been amazing, and the level of engagement with our customers, partners, and industry peers has been very strong. It is always a great platform for collaboration, and this year we can clearly feel how much interest there is in the work we are doing at Core42 and within the broader G42 ecosystem. We are taking centre stage within the G42 District in AI Hall 6, where we are highlighting our role as the digital infrastructure arm of the G42 ecosystem. G42’s Intelligence Grid vision is redefining how nations can build AI-native societies by connecting infrastructure, intelligence, and innovation within one cohesive framework. Together with our sister companies, we are bringing this vision to life and showing how it translates into tangible outcomes that strengthen the UAE’s AI leadership and set new benchmarks for secure, globally competitive digital infrastructure.

A major highlight of our showcase is the Core42 AI Cloud, a high-performance, scalable, and sovereign platform that brings every leading accelerator together under one roof. It provides a unified environment for all training, fine-tuning, and inference needs. We have recently introduced self-service capabilities within the AI Cloud that allow users to access NVIDIA accelerated compute resources within minutes, offering new levels of flexibility, speed, and accessibility for large-scale AI development.

We are also showcasing our Sovereign Public Cloud, which delivers full compliance and control for regulated sectors, our Signature Private Cloud, which is currently in Customer Preview, and our Compass generative AI platform. Our Signature Private Cloud now supports more than fifty public and private entities across the UAE, which is a major milestone for us. We are proud to be the first mover in this space and happy to be celebrating that achievement at GITEX, where we can show the real impact it is creating for our customers and for the wider ecosystem.

From your perspective, how is the digital landscape evolving, and what trends are you seeing take shape?

The digital landscape is evolving at an incredible pace, and much of that acceleration is being driven by AI. It is transforming how organizations operate, how they serve customers, and how they manage data. At Core42, we see our role as helping governments and enterprises adopt these technologies safely, responsibly, and at scale through infrastructure that is sovereign by design.

I oversee the Sovereign Public Cloud offering at Core42, which is built on Microsoft Azure and governed by Core42 Insight, our compliance and governance platform. This combination provides the scalability and flexibility of a hyperscale cloud while ensuring that all data execution, residency, and control remain fully sovereign. Customers can benefit from the performance and innovation of a global platform while operating within a framework that meets national data protection standards and regulatory requirements. It allows public and regulated entities to modernize with confidence, knowing that compliance and trust are built in from the start.

How does Core42 ensure responsible and ethical use of AI within sovereign environments?

Sovereignty is at the core of everything we do at Core42. Our mission is to give customers complete control over their data, their operations, and their technology environments. Data sovereignty means that all information stays within national borders and cannot be accessed by any external entity or foreign jurisdiction.

We also enable operational and technological sovereignty, which means our customers can run and scale their systems independently, securely, and in full alignment with local regulations. These principles are embedded across our Private Cloud and AI Cloud portfolios, where compliance and governance are built into the architecture from day one.

Responsible AI is an essential part of this approach. Through our platforms, we enable organizations to use AI within a clear, regulated, and ethical framework that aligns with national policies and international best practices. Our goal is to make sure AI adoption creates value while maintaining transparency, fairness, and trust at every level.

How is the Sovereign Public Cloud transforming the experience for your customers?

What we see is a real shift in how customers think about cloud adoption. In the past, many organizations were cautious because of data residency and compliance concerns. With the Sovereign Public Cloud, those barriers are being removed. Our customers can now benefit from all the flexibility, scalability, and performance of a global cloud environment while maintaining complete control of their data within UAE borders.

This has opened up new opportunities for innovation. Government entities, financial institutions, healthcare providers, and other regulated sectors are now able to modernize their operations with confidence, knowing that sovereignty, security, and compliance are built in from the start.

Looking ahead, how do you see cloud innovation evolving in the region?

The Middle East is moving fast toward a cloud-first, AI-native future. The focus is to adopt technology and build sovereign ecosystems that reflect local values, laws, and priorities. At Core42, our goal is to continue expanding the capabilities of the Sovereign Public Cloud, integrating more AI services, and enhancing data and workload portability across hybrid environments. We believe the future belongs to organizations that can combine global innovation with local trust, and that is exactly what we are helping our customers achieve.