OpenAI Expands Stargate Project to UAE with 1GW Data Center Cluster

Reviewed byNidhi Govil

16 Sources

Share

OpenAI announces Stargate UAE, a major expansion of its AI infrastructure project to Abu Dhabi, partnering with tech giants to build a 1GW data center cluster. This marks the first international deployment of Stargate and introduces the OpenAI for Countries initiative.

OpenAI Announces Stargate UAE: A Landmark Expansion

OpenAI has unveiled plans to expand its ambitious Stargate data center project to the Middle East with the announcement of Stargate UAE. This initiative will bring a massive 1GW data center cluster to Abu Dhabi, marking a significant milestone in the company's global AI infrastructure development

1

.

Source: SiliconANGLE

Source: SiliconANGLE

Partnership and Investment Details

The project is a collaborative effort involving several tech giants and investors:

  • Partners include G42, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank

    2

  • Initial phase of 200MW expected to go live in 2026

    1

  • Reciprocal UAE investment into U.S. Stargate infrastructure

    2

  • Part of a larger $500 billion private sector investment in the Stargate AI project

    2

OpenAI for Countries Initiative

Stargate UAE is the first partnership under OpenAI's new global initiative, "OpenAI for Countries." This program aims to help interested governments build sovereign AI capabilities in coordination with the U.S. government

1

. The initiative is described as being "rooted in democratic values, open markets, and trusted partnerships"

2

.

Potential Impact and Reach

OpenAI claims that Stargate UAE has the potential to provide AI infrastructure and compute capacity within a 2,000-mile radius, potentially reaching up to half the world's population

4

. As part of this expansion, the UAE is set to become the first country in the world to enable nationwide ChatGPT access

1

.

Technical Specifications and Timeline

Source: Reuters

Source: Reuters

The Stargate UAE project will utilize advanced hardware:

  • Nvidia's Grace Blackwell GB300 systems, currently the most advanced AI server offered by Nvidia

    5

  • Estimated 1,400 servers or 100,000 Nvidia chips for the initial 200MW capacity

    5

  • The entire project is expected to span a 10-square-mile (26-sq-km) site in Abu Dhabi

    5

Political Context and Regulatory Changes

The expansion comes in the wake of significant policy shifts:

  • The Trump administration recently rescinded a Biden-era "AI Diffusion Rule" that limited chip exports to non-US companies

    4

  • A U.S.-UAE working group will be convened to ensure the project meets "robust U.S. security standards"

    5

Source: The Register

Source: The Register

Future Prospects

OpenAI has indicated that it is engaging with other countries interested in building their own Stargates

2

. This aligns with predictions made by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about the deployment of AI infrastructure in energy-rich nations, including Gulf states

4

.

TheOutpost.ai

Your Daily Dose of Curated AI News

Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Spend less time searching for the latest in AI and get straight to action.

© 2025 Triveous Technologies Private Limited
Instagram logo
LinkedIn logo