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OpenAI has officially unveiled Stargate UAE, a groundbreaking artificial intelligence initiative. This marks its first international expansion under the newly launched “OpenAI for Countries” program.
The project, located in Abu Dhabi, is poised to become one of the world’s most powerful AI hubs. Moreover, it will begin with a 1-gigawatt compute cluster and eventually scale up to 5 gigawatts.
To bring this ambitious vision to life, OpenAI is partnering with major global players, including:
- G42: Emirati AI powerhouse and local implementation partner
- Oracle: Cloud infrastructure lead as well as compute cluster manager
- Nvidia: Supplying the latest GB300 AI systems based on Blackwell Ultra B300 chips
- Cisco Systems: Providing next-generation connectivity infrastructure
- SoftBank: Key strategic investor
The first 200-megawatt segment of the data center is expected to go live by 2026.
Advanced Hardware and Unmatched Compute Power
At the heart of Stargate UAE’s capabilities will be Nvidia’s GB300 systems, combining:
- 72 Blackwell Ultra B300 GPUs
- 36 Grace CPUs (totaling 2,592 cores)
- NVLink C2C interconnect with 900 GB/s bandwidth
This system is expected to handle inference tasks up to 50% faster than earlier models while significantly reducing latency by using a larger onboard memory pool.
The project also marks a historic milestone: “the UAE will become the first country in the world to enable ChatGPT nationwide,” according to OpenAI.
This nationwide rollout will allow broad public access to generative AI tools and services, empowering individuals and businesses across the region.
Geopolitical & Economic Impact
Announced during a high-profile Middle East tour by U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and the U.S. Commerce Department, the initiative underscores growing AI diplomacy between the United States and allied nations. It also aligns with a larger $100 billion AI infrastructure plan, first announced in January, which could scale to $500 billion over the next four years.
OpenAI emphasized that the UAE collaboration is designed to provide “sovereign AI capability in coordination with the U.S. government,” reinforcing global AI leadership while supporting secure and responsible AI access for allied nations.
Looking ahead, OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer, Jason Kwon, is expected to lead a roadshow across the Asia Pacific region to introduce the “OpenAI for Countries” program to new governments. The company aims to launch similar initiatives in at least 10 countries or regions, further expanding its global footprint.
