Confirming recent speculation, OpenAI announced that it is expanding its ambitious Stargate data center project into the Middle East, unveiling plans for Stargate UAE, a massive 1 gigawatt (GW) data center cluster located in Abu Dhabi. According to OpenAI, the first phase will deliver approximately 200 megawatts (MW) of operational capacity by 2026, developed in collaboration with industry-leading partners including Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, G42, and SoftBank.
In a statement, OpenAI highlighted that this new data center facility would serve as a key hub for artificial intelligence infrastructure and computational power, with coverage reaching within a 2,000-mile radius of the site. The UAE-based project marks the inaugural partnership under “OpenAI for Countries,” a cooperative program designed by OpenAI together with the United States government aimed at assisting foreign nations in building their own national AI capabilities and sovereign technological resources.
Moreover, under this groundbreaking partnership, the United Arab Emirates is poised to become the first country globally to offer nationwide access to ChatGPT, enabling citizens across the nation to utilize OpenAI’s cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology.
The news regarding Stargate UAE was revealed in the same week as billionaire Elon Musk’s announcement that his company, xAI, plans to construct the world’s first gigawatt-level AI training cluster, highlighting ongoing intensifying competition in advanced artificial intelligence infrastructure efforts.
