Tech Giants, US-UAE Ignite Stargate: 1-Gigawatt AI Supercluster Rises in Abu Dhabi

A coalition of leading global technology corporations has unveiled plans to establish Stargate UAE, a formidable 1-gigawatt AI compute cluster situated within the newly announced UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi. This ambitious undertaking, involving G42, OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, SoftBank Group, and Cisco, signifies a major leap in global AI infrastructure and is a core component of the broader “US–UAE AI Acceleration Partnership.”[1][2] The project aims to provide substantial AI computing power, foster innovation, and address the escalating demands of an increasingly intelligent world, positioning the UAE as a significant hub in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.[1][3][4]

The Stargate UAE initiative is a multifaceted collaboration with each technology partner playing a crucial role.[1][5] Abu Dhabi-based AI company G42 will spearhead the construction of the 1-gigawatt compute cluster.[1][3][6] OpenAI and Oracle are slated to operate the facility.[1][3] NVIDIA will contribute its cutting-edge Grace Blackwell GB300 systems, providing the powerful processing capabilities essential for advanced AI model training and operation.[1][3][7] Cisco is tasked with delivering zero-trust security and AI-ready connectivity infrastructure, ensuring the secure and efficient flow of data.[1][8] SoftBank Group will act as a strategic partner, offering support for the initiative.[1][5] The Stargate UAE project is designed to deliver nation-scale compute capacity and low-latency inferencing, critical for developing and deploying high-performance AI solutions across various sectors.[1][5][3] The first 200-megawatt segment of the AI cluster is anticipated to become operational in 2026.[1][9][3] This development is also the first international deployment of OpenAI's "Stargate" AI infrastructure platform and the inaugural partnership under its "OpenAI for Countries" initiative, which aims to assist governments in building sovereign AI capabilities in coordination with the U.S. government.[5][9][10]

Stargate UAE will be housed within the expansive UAE–US AI Campus, a 5-gigawatt facility spanning 10 square miles in Abu Dhabi, making it the largest such deployment outside of the United States.[1][5][3] This campus was unveiled in the presence of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and U.S. President Donald J. Trump, underscoring the strategic importance of the collaboration.[1][11][3] The campus is engineered to provide regional compute resources and offer latency-friendly services to nearly half the global population residing within a 2,000-mile radius of the UAE.[11][9] To minimize its environmental impact, the campus will utilize a combination of nuclear, solar, and natural gas power sources.[5][11][3] Beyond the data centers, the campus will also feature a science park aimed at fostering innovation, talent development, and promoting sustainable compute infrastructure.[1][5][11] The entire campus, including Stargate UAE, falls under the "US–UAE AI Acceleration Partnership," a framework designed to deepen cooperation on AI and advanced technologies, focusing on the development of safe, secure, and responsible AI.[1][11][12] This partnership also involves the UAE expanding its investments in digital infrastructure within the U.S., including projects like Stargate U.S.[1][9]

The establishment of Stargate UAE and the broader AI campus carries significant implications for the AI industry, the UAE, and international technological collaboration. For the UAE, this initiative solidifies its ambition to become a global AI hub, building on its 2017 appointment of the world's first Minister of Artificial Intelligence and the launch of its national AI strategy.[5][11][3] It is expected to accelerate scientific discovery and drive innovation across diverse sectors such as healthcare, energy, finance, and transportation, thereby fueling economic growth and national development.[1][2] Larry Ellison, CTO and Chairman of Oracle, highlighted that the platform will enable UAE government agencies and commercial institutions to connect their data to advanced AI models, setting a new standard for digital sovereignty.[1][5][2] Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized that the infrastructure will empower the UAE's vision for its people, economy, and future.[1][5] The project is also seen as a strategic move for the UAE in navigating its technological relationships, particularly by aligning with U.S. standards for technology security.[11][13] Globally, this project has the potential to significantly increase AI compute capacity, addressing a critical bottleneck in AI development.[14] The sheer scale of a 1-gigawatt data center, capable of powering hundreds of thousands of homes, underscores the massive energy and infrastructure requirements of advanced AI.[15] The initiative also reflects a growing trend of developing large-scale, specialized AI data center campuses to meet the exponential demand for AI processing power.[16]

The "US–UAE AI Acceleration Partnership" underpinning Stargate UAE aims to ensure that AI development aligns with democratic values and open markets.[17][5] Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, described Stargate UAE as a transformation of a bold vision into reality and a step toward ensuring that breakthroughs in areas like medicine, education, and energy can emerge from more places globally.[1][5] The partnership also involves stringent security measures, with the U.S. and UAE working together to enhance Know-Your-Customer protocols to regulate access to compute resources, which will be reserved for U.S. hyperscalers and approved cloud service providers.[11][18] This collaboration is expected to facilitate deeper technology cooperation, including access to advanced AI chips for the UAE.[13][12][19] The initiative also includes reciprocal UAE investment into U.S. Stargate infrastructure, reinforcing OpenAI's commitment to bolstering American capabilities while enabling allies to access transformative AI securely.[9][10] This landmark project, therefore, not only represents a significant technological advancement but also a deepening of strategic ties between the United States and the United Arab Emirates in the critical domain of artificial intelligence.