The Philippines has sought to strengthen its partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on energy and digital infrastructure in preparation for the needs of the AI-native industrial hub in Clark as part of projects under the Pax Silica, a U.S. led initiative with 13 other countries, including the Philippines.
Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary and Board of Investments (BOI) Managing Head Dr. Ceferino Rodolfo reported that he met with Masdar and DAMAC Digital officials to advance investment plans in the Philippines and align partnerships on AI development in connection with the US-led Pax Silica initiative.
The meetings with UAE’s leading companies in energy and high-tech sectors follow the Philippines’ recent accession to the Pax Silica alliance and the announcement of a partnership with the United States to establish a 4,000-acre AI-native industrial acceleration hub in Luzon, which requires robust energy and digital infrastructure to support high-end AI processing and next-gen manufacturing.
Masdar is actively involved in powering Abu Dhabi’s Stargate UAE project with 5-GW renewables and 19GWh battery energy storage system. Masdar has also ongoing renewable projects in the country under the signed MoU with the BOI, supporting the development of up to 10 GW renewable energy projects in the Philippines by 2035.
During the meeting, Undersecretary Rodolfo discussed with DAMAC Digital Senior Vice President Troy Gilson the progress of a 250-MW data center facility in the Philippines as a follow up to the meeting between DAMAC’s Chairman Hussain Sajwani and President Ferdinand F. Marcos, Jr. in Abu Dhabi in January this year. DAMAC’s investment reinforces the country as a hub for AI-driven technologies under the Pax Silica alliance.
“The Luzon AI-native hub within the Pax Silica alliance integrates UAE’s renewable energy expertise and data center capabilities for the next-gen manufacturing” said Undersecretary Rodolfo.
“Our collaborations with industry leaders such as Masdar and DAMAC underscore our commitment to transform Philippines into a premier destination for AI-driven technologies and sustainable industrial acceleration.” Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Alfonso Ver highlighted that mutual inclusion in the Pax Silica alliance is a force multiplier for existing bilateral agreements.
“PH’s accession in the Pax Silica alliance, where UAE is also a key party, further solidifies our bilateral trade and investment frameworks, such as the CEPA and the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA).
This signifies that Philippines and the UAE are no longer just traditional trading partners; they are now strategic tech-allies “ said Ambassador Ver.
The Undersecretary was in the region to participate in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Critical Minerals Forum and visited countries in the Pax Silica alliance.
While in the UAE, the Undersecretary Rodolfo also met with Tristar Group, iSON Xperiences, AIM Congress, and The Hub Trading LLC to leverage the Philippines-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) as the primary engine for high-tech trade and investments.
