OpenAI is embarking on a significant expansion of its Stargate project by establishing a data center in the Middle East. The company has officially announced the initiation of the Stargate UAE, which will consist of a data center cluster in Abu Dhabi boasting a capacity of 1GW.
The first 200 MW of this capacity is projected to become operational by 2026, developed in partnership with industry leaders including G42, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank.
According to a blog entry from OpenAI, Stargate UAE is designed to deliver AI infrastructure and computational resources that can reach up to 2,000 miles (approximately 3,219 kilometers).
“This marks our inaugural partnership under OpenAI for Countries, a global initiative aimed at assisting interested governments in developing sovereign AI capabilities in collaboration with the U.S. government,” the company stated.
As part of this collaboration, the UAE will become the first nation globally to provide nationwide access to ChatGPT, making OpenAI’s technologies available to its citizens.
It’s worth noting that OpenAI has also announced its acquisition of a secretive startup founded by renowned Apple designer Jony Ive, with plans to unveil its first AI device in 2026. This device will be a compact gadget without a screen, capable of understanding the user’s environment.