Space42, Microsoft, and Esri Partner to Revolutionize Mapping Across Africa
Space42, a UAE-based AI-powered SpaceTech company under G42, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Microsoft and Esri to launch the Map Africa Initiative, a transformative project to create high-resolution base maps for all 54 African countries, serving over 1.4 billion people. Announced at Esri’s 2025 User Conference, the five-year initiative aims to bridge infrastructure and data gaps, fostering economic growth and innovation across the continent.
The Map Africa Initiative will produce the most comprehensive continental base map to date, addressing the challenge of outdated or fragmented mapping data that hinders decision-making for governments and businesses. By leveraging Space42’s satellite data, Esri’s GeoAI and remote sensing expertise, and Microsoft’s Azure cloud infrastructure, the project will deliver accurate, scalable geospatial data to support industries like logistics, renewable energy, security, and urban planning.
“Partnership is core to the UAE’s DNA, and is central to how Space42 operates. This collaboration with Microsoft and Esri is more than technical; it’s strategic,” said Hasan Al Hosani, CEO of Smart Solutions at Space42. “It advances Space42’s business priorities, strengthens our role as a trusted partner to governments, and delivers meaningful benefits to communities across Africa. Accurate, high-quality mapping and the intelligence solutions built on it are essential for growth, resilience, and inclusive innovation. With reliable data, communities and economies prosper.”
Jack Dangermond, President of Esri, added, “We are proud to support the Map Africa Initiative in partnership with Space42. Transforming satellite imagery into detailed, accurate base maps at continental scale requires advanced geospatial technology and professional production workflows. These same capabilities have supported similar national and regional mapping efforts around the world. With Map Africa, we are helping to establish a foundational resource that will drive infrastructure planning, economic growth, and sustainable development across the continent.”
The initiative’s collaborative approach maximizes each partner’s strengths. Space42 will lead fundraising, project management, and data processing using AI-powered Digital Twin models, while also driving R&D for new AI models to automate map production. Esri will oversee base map workflows and train local teams through regional hubs to build long-term capacity. Microsoft’s Azure platform will enable secure, scalable data processing and integration.
The project is poised to unlock significant opportunities, from optimizing port logistics and renewable energy site selection to enhancing disaster response and enabling smart city development. The data will be licensed to national governments, empowering local ownership and updates by National Mapping Agencies, and will eventually be hosted in G42 and Microsoft-managed data centers, fostering a new ecosystem of African startups.
For Space42, the initiative strengthens ties with Microsoft and Esri, expands its African presence, and opens commercial opportunities in analytics and infrastructure. Peng Xiao, Group CEO at G42, emphasized, “We believe intelligence is the foundation for societal progress, yet it remains out of reach for millions across the Global South. This partnership is a decisive step toward closing that gap. Together with our partners, we will deliver AI-powered insights that enable African nations to plan smarter, build better, and grow more sustainably and responsibly. From agricultural optimization and natural resource management to strengthening public services infrastructure and economic empowerment, this partnership will help turn data into development, and intelligence into impact.”
The Map Africa Initiative aligns with the UAE’s role as Africa’s largest foreign investor, with $44 billion invested in 2024. As the UAE’s national space champion, Space42 advances this agenda by exporting AI and geospatial expertise, fostering knowledge transfer, and supporting innovation-driven economies in both Africa and the UAE.
