DUBAI, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Chinese e-commerce giant

Alibaba's cloud business unit has launched its second

data centre in Dubai, it said on Tuesday, nine years after its

first, as it expands its global cloud computing services to meet

growing demand.

Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and artificial

intelligence division, said in a statement the launch was part

of the technology major's pledge to invest 380 billion yuan ($53

billion) over three years. No financial details were disclosed

in Tuesday's statement.

"The Middle East's advantageous position in fast-tracking AI

adoption and its collaborative ecosystem are crucial enablers

for private and public sector companies to thrive," said Eric

Wan, vice president of Alibaba Cloud International and regional

general manager at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

The United Arab Emirates, among the world's top oil

exporters, has been spending billions of dollars on an AI push,

and under a deal signed in May, it is building the largest AI

campus outside the United States in partnership with technology

giants such as Nvidia ( NVDA ) and OpenAI.

The long-coveted agreement was a major win for the Gulf

country, which has been trying to balance its relations with its

longtime ally, the U.S., and its largest trading partner, China.

However, Reuters reported, citing sources, that the deal has

not been finalised amid U.S. security concerns around Beijing's

access to advanced semiconductors via third parties such as the

UAE, where major Chinese companies remain active.

Alibaba Cloud said in the statement on Tuesday that it had

partnered with several companies from various sectors, including

Abu Dhabi-backed digital lender Wio Bank, during tech and AI

exhibition GITEX Global in Dubai to take advantage of its local

infrastructure capabilities to accelerate AI deployment.