The UAE Stargate will work closely with its counterpart in the United States as part of the AI initiative President Trump unveiled back in January. Trump highlighted the initiative as a major component of his administration’s global technology agenda after his recent trip to the region. Representatives from major technology companies such as Jensen Huang of Nvidia, Sam Altman of OpenAI, Jeetu Patel of Cisco and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank were all present at the UAE announcement, showing the importance and global nature of the agreement.

Tech giants Nvidia, Cisco, Oracle and OpenAI have teamed up to help build a major AI data centre in Abu Dhabi, which has been named ‘UAE Stargate’. Led by Emirati AI company G42, the initiative represents a major increase in the U.S. AI infrastructure influence across international markets and marks an ambitious drive by the U.S. into the Middle East. The data centre, covering an area of 10 square kilometres and requiring 5 gigawatts (GW) of electricity, may emerge as one of the biggest in the AI sector globally. According to a report from Bloomberg, OpenAI was considering establishing a data centre in the UAE.

Massive AI buildout led by G42 and U.S. firms

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who participated in the unveiling of the U.S. Stargate program when Trump was president, is also part of the UAE version. Nvidia is providing its advanced Blackwell GB300 AI processors, which are currently in great demand worldwide, while OpenAI will contribute its expertise in developing and deploying the advanced technology. The partnership aims to give the U.S. a strong edge in developing and deploying AI technology in regions where China is making significant investments.

A subsidiary of Emirati conglomerate G42 will lead the development of the UAE Stargate project. The U.S. Commerce Department has acknowledged that G42 will play a leading role in the project, which is intended to strengthen AI collaboration between the two countries. Initially, the plan calls for building a 1-gigawatt compute cluster. Once completed, the Stargate site will be able to support five times that amount of computing power. OpenAI is anticipated to play a central role as a tenant, with their involvement in the project yet to be officially confirmed.

Strategic stakes: AI, power, and geopolitics

The collaboration is set to transform the AI infrastructure industry worldwide, as the UAE centre may exceed the scale and progress of any current undertakings in the U.S. The company had originally presented the concept of massive 5 GW data centres to the Biden administration, only to move ahead with international construction before building a similar one in the United States. A Stargate data centre in Abilene, Texas, is currently under construction and will be finished in 2026.

Some officials in Washington have expressed reservations. Officials in the Trump administration are worried that supplying advanced semiconductor chips such as Nvidia’s AI processors to partners with links to China could pose significant threats to national security. Discussions are taking place over how best to maintain the country’s leadership in AI while also strengthening relationships with international partners.

Middle East emerges as a new AI frontier

Nvidia is also expanding its presence in Saudi Arabia, agreeing to sell 18,000 Blackwell chips to Saudi firm Humain for its new 500 MG data centre. AMD has entered into the deal, and Humain has committed $10 billion toward the project. An influx of investment from Gulf countries and major U.S. corporations is helping the Middle East become a major contender in the global AI game.

OpenAI is investing heavily in the Middle East to build AI hubs around the region. The Stargate project is one component of a $500 billion worldwide effort by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank to establish top-notch AI facilities around the globe. MGX, backed by the government of Abu Dhabi and a member of OpenAI’s $6.6 billion fundraising, is considering investing in the project in the UAE.

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