Databricks sets sights on Abu Dhabi as Middle East growth takes off

Hello from Abu Dhabi. It’s good to be back in the region, especially given I’ve spent the past two days attending the Frontier Summit, which has been hosted by U.S. investment firm Goanna Capital. The event has brought together around 200 founders, investors, sovereign wealth representatives and government leaders to discuss developments across AI, robotics and space. Representatives from Mubadala, Space42, Majid Al Futtaim Group, ADNOC Group, Databricks, and Snowflake were all present, among many other global heavyweights. Given the region’s geopolitical backdrop today, it was both reassuring and refreshing to hear from a range of attendees that I spoke to that their appetite for doing business, both in and with Abu Dhabi, remains strong. For its part, Goanna Capital took the opportunity to announce that it has opened its first international office in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) as it looks to connect regional investors with some of the world’s leading private technology firms. Databricks followed hot on its heels as per this week’s big story below. Melissa HancockAnd as ever, thanks for reading, and do keep in…