OpenAI Plans Massive Data Center in UAE, Expanding Global AI Infrastructure

OpenAI may build data centers in the UAE | TechCrunch

OpenAI is reportedly considering building data centers in the United Arab Emirates to greatly expand its Middle East footprint. A deal could be announced as soon as this week, according to Bloomberg. As Bloomberg notes, OpenAI has a long relationship with the UAE. In 2023, the company partnered with Abu Dhabi's AI firm G42, which last year received a $1.5 billion investment from OpenAI backer Microsoft. Meanwhile, an investment vehicle overseen by an Emirati royal family member, MGX, participated in a recent OpenAI funding round and plans to contribute to OpenAI's Stargate AI infrastructure project. OpenAI is seeking to more closely partner with governments seen as friendly to the U.S. Earlier this month, the company launched a program, OpenAI for Countries, saying it will enable it to build out the local infrastructure needed to better serve international AI customers and "spread democratic AI."

OpenAI's planned data center in Abu Dhabi would be bigger than Monaco | TechCrunch

OpenAI is poised to help develop a staggering 5-gigawatt data center campus in Abu Dhabi, positioning the company as a primary anchor tenant in what could become one of the world's largest AI infrastructure projects, according to a new Bloomberg report. The facility would reportedly span an astonishing 10 square miles and consume power equivalent to five nuclear reactors, dwarfing any existing AI infrastructure announced by OpenAI or its competitors. (OpenAI has not yet returned TechCrunch's request for comment, but to put that into perspective, that's bigger than Monaco.) The UAE project, developed in partnership with G42 - an Abu Dhabi-based tech conglomerate - is part of OpenAI's ambitious Stargate project, a joint venture announced in January that could see OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle build massive data centers around the globe stocked with powerful computer chips to support AI development. While OpenAI's first Stargate campus in the U.S. - already under development in Abilene, Texas - is expected to reach 1.2 gigawatts, this Middle Eastern counterpart would more than quadruple that capacity. The project is emerging amid broader AI ties between the U.S. and UAE that have been years in the making, and have made some lawmakers nervous. OpenAI's relationship with the UAE dates back to a 2023 partnership with G42 aimed at driving AI adoption in the Middle East. During a talk earlier that same year in Abu Dhabi, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised the UAE, saying it "has been talking about AI since before it was cool." As with much of the AI world, these relationships are... complicated. Founded in 2018, G42 is chaired by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's national security advisor and younger brother of the country's ruler. Its embrace by OpenAI raised concerns in late 2023 among U.S. officials, who feared that G42 could enable China's government to gain access to advanced U.S. technology. These concerns focused on G42's "active relationships" with blacklisted entities, including Huawei and Beijing Genomics Institute, as well as ties to individuals connected to China's intelligence efforts. Following pressure from U.S. lawmakers, G42's CEO told Bloomberg in early 2024 that the company was shifting its strategy, saying: "All of our China investments that were previously made are already divested. Because of that, of course, we have no need anymore for any physical China presence." Soon after, Microsoft - a major shareholder in OpenAI with its own broader interests in the region - announced a $1.5 billion investment in G42, and its president, Brad Smith, joined G42's board of directors.

OpenAI to Help UAE Develop One of World's Biggest Data Centers

OpenAI plans to help develop a massive new data center in the United Arab Emirates that may eventually be one of the largest in the world, a major bet on the Middle East and a significant expansion of the company's global AI infrastructure ambitions. The ChatGPT maker is expected to be one of the primary anchor tenants for a recently announced 5-gigawatt data center campus in Abu Dhabi, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the plans are not public. OpenAI's participation is not yet finalized, said the people, but a formal announcement may come in the near term.

OpenAI to help UAE develop one of world's biggest data centers, Bloomberg News reports

May 16 (Reuters) - OpenAI plans to help develop a massive new data center in the United Arab Emirates that may eventually be one of the largest in the world, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. The ChatGPT maker is expected to be one of the primary anchor tenants for a 5-gigawatt data center campus in Abu Dhabi, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O), opens new tab company's participation is not yet finalized but a formal announcement may come in the near term, the report said. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The UAE and the United States on Thursday signed an agreement for the Gulf country to build the largest AI campus outside the U.S. Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab Suggested Topics:Artificial Intelligence

Sam Altman's OpenAI Is Mulling a Data Center in the Middle East

As President Donald Trump's tour of the Middle East gathers momentum, OpenAI is positioning itself at the heart of a geopolitical realignment that could reshape where A.I. is developed -- and who controls its future. The company is in talks to build a data center in the United Arab Emirates, Bloomberg reported, a pivotal move for both the creator of ChatGPT and a Gulf nation eager to establish itself as a tech hub. Sign Up For Our Daily Newsletter Sign Up Thank you for signing up! By clicking submit, you agree to our <a href="http://observermedia.com/terms">terms of service</a> and acknowledge we may use your information to send you emails, product samples, and promotions on this website and other properties. You can opt out anytime. See all of our newsletters This isn't OpenAI's first engagement with the Emirates. In 2023, it partnered with G42, an A.I. firm based in Abu Dhabi. That alliance deepened in early 2024, when Microsoft -- OpenAI's largest investor -- channeled $1.5 billion into G42. MGX, an Emirati investment fund chaired by a royal family member, also participated in OpenAI's $6.6 billion funding round and is expected to join a $100 billion A.I. infrastructure initiative alongside SoftBank and Oracle, as part of the Trump administration's four-year, $500 billion "Stargate" project, announced in January. Trump's arrival in the Middle East was timed with a cohort of powerful tech executives: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia's Jensen Huang, IBM's Arvind Krishna and -- of course -- Elon Musk. The delegation highlights both the rising role of tech leaders in U.S. foreign diplomacy and Silicon Valley's growing reliance on the White House to navigate geopolitical barriers, particularly those involving trade embargos. For example, access to Nvidia's cutting-edge A.I. chips remains constrained by U.S. export controls implemented in 2023. However, the Trump administration is reportedly working on a workaround that would permit the UAE to import over a million high-end chips, most of which would be allocated to U.S. firms like OpenAI operating in the region. Other companies are capitalizing on the diplomatic push. Nvidia has announced a deal with Saudi Arabia's Humain AI to build "A.I. factories" in the Kingdom, where it will supply hundreds of thousands of chips over the coming years. During the same trip, Elon Musk's Starlink secured approval to operate in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis also pledged $600 billion in U.S.-bound investments through various deals. While many agreements have already emerged from Trump's stop in Saudi Arabia, more announcements are expected when he arrives in the UAE on Thursday. OpenAI is likely to unveil further details about its data center plans during that visit.

OpenAI to help UAE develop one of world's biggest data centres

OpenAI is reportedly planning to support the development of a vast data centre in Abu Dhabi, potentially among the world's largest. The 5-gigawatt campus may host OpenAI as a key tenant. Though not yet confirmed, an announcement is expected soon, following a UAE-US AI development agreement.OpenAI plans to help develop a massive new data centre in the United Arab Emirates that may eventually be one of the largest in the world, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. The ChatGPT maker is expected to be one of the primary anchor tenants for a 5-gigawatt data centre campus in Abu Dhabi, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. The Microsoft-backed company's participation is not yet finalized but a formal announcement may come in the near term, the report said. OpenAI did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. The UAE and the United States on Thursday signed an agreement for the Gulf country to build the largest AI campus outside the US.

OpenAI plans Stargate data centre in UAE in push beyond US: Report

It is not clear whether the ChatGPT maker will use the UAE data centre for its own work in the artificial intelligence (AI) space.Sam Altman's OpenAI is going to announce a new data centre in the UAE under its Stargate initiative, The Information reported, citing people aware of the matter. Altman is part of a Big Tech contingent accompanying US President Donald Trump on his ongoing Middle East tour. Trump recently rescinded Biden-era curbs on selling high-end semiconductor chips to the region over fears that Chinese firms might gain access to them. The data centre is part of OpenAI's efforts to expand business outside the US, while countries in the Middle East have been wooing American technology firms with cheaper energy available in the region. It is not clear whether the ChatGPT maker will use the UAE data centre for its own work in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. Stargate is a $500-billion AI infrastructure project by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The initiative was initially focussed on building data centres in the US to train advanced AI models. But OpenAI said last week that it will expand its investments beyond the US. The initial phase will see the company pursue 10 international projects, but it has not disclosed their locations yet. The first leg of Trump's Middle East tour has been punctuated with Musk's Starlink and Nvidia signing deals. Saudi Arabia will authorise use of Starlink satellite internet for aviation and maritime shipping. The richest person in the world pitched other services from his portfolio, including robotaxis, humanoid robots and The Boring Company tunnel. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is weighing a deal to import more than a million advanced Nvidia chips to the UAE, Bloomberg reported. The deal, which is still in a nascent stage, could let UAE import 500,000 chips till 2027. One-fifth would be set aside for Abu Dhabi AI firm G42, while the rest would go to US companies setting up data centres in the nation.