UAE's CNTXT AI Raises $60 Million to Expand Sovereign AI Globally

Dubai-based data and artificial intelligence company CNTXT AI has raised $60 million in a Series A funding round co-led by AI71 and BlueFive Capital to support product development, international expansion and the deployment of sovereign AI infrastructure.

Founded by Mohammad Abu Sheikh, the company focuses on helping enterprises and government entities build and operate AI systems while retaining full control over their data.

CNTXT AI provides training data services, including labelling and annotation for AI labs, enterprise data teams and robotics applications, combining automation with human expertise. Its portfolio includes Munsit, an Arabic voice AI platform that has processed more than one million minutes of speech, and TestAI, a platform designed to assess AI performance and reliability before deployment.

"This funding strengthens our ability to build the sovereign infrastructure and talent needed to deploy AI at scale," Abu Sheikh said. "Our focus has always been on making AI work in the real world, under the most demanding conditions."

The round comes as concerns around data privacy, regulatory compliance and digital sovereignty increasingly shape how governments and businesses deploy artificial intelligence systems. Demand for sovereign AI solutions has grown as organisations seek alternatives that allow sensitive data to remain within national or institutional boundaries.

The investment also reflects broader interest in AI infrastructure, alongside foundation models and consumer applications, amid efforts across the Gulf to expand artificial intelligence capabilities.

CNTXT AI said the funding will support its next phase of growth, focused on global expansion and large-scale deployments.