Advanced Micro Devices said Tuesday that it would split into two companies  one focused on designing microprocessors and the other on the costly business of manufacturing them  in a drastic effort to maintain its position as the only real rival to Intel.

In addition, the company said two Abu Dhabi investment firms would inject at least $6 billion into the two companies, mostly to finance a new chip factory that A.M.D. planned to build near Albany and to upgrade one of the company’s existing plants in Dresden, Germany.

A.M.D., based in Sunnyvale, Calif., makes graphics, computer and server processors. It will own 44.4 percent of the new entity, which has been temporarily named the Foundry Company, a reference to the technical term for a chip factory. The Advanced Technology Investment Company will own the rest.

Advanced Technology, which was formed by the Abu Dhabi government, has promised to put up $2.1 billion immediately and contribute $3.6 billion to $6 billion more to build or upgrade chip fabrication plants, also known as fabs. A.M.D. said the two companies would share voting control equally.