UAE signs four new OpenAI deals

OpenAI is weaving itself deeper into the UAE’s economy. CEO Sam Altman signed four deals in Abu Dhabi on Monday that put OpenAI’s models to work across the emirate’s government, its biggest oil company, and a sovereign wealth fund, CNBC reports. The deals come as OpenAI looks to UAE investors to help bankroll its next big funding round.

The deals underscore how many roles the UAE now plays for OpenAI. It’s one of the company’s biggest investors, home to one of its largest data center projects, and also a customer at the very top levels of government and industry.

The Abu Dhabi government deal: OpenAI is creating systems so AI can handle routine paperwork, such as issuing permits and certificates. In simple cases, applicants could get decisions on these permits in minutes instead of days, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Government Enablement says. Human officials will still make the final call on permitting decisions, they say. Food import checks are already running on the system, with construction permits and business licensing up next.

Big business: State oil giant Adnoc will become the first energy company to roll out OpenAI’s most advanced tech across its operations. Here are details from The National. The company is already running numerous AI systems designed by AIQ, Adnoc’s AI joint venture with G42’s Presight, as we previously reported.

Also on the list: Mubadala will use OpenAI’s tech to help analyze investments and assess risk, while Inception42 signed a five-year deal to bring OpenAI’s tools to UAE government agencies, companies, and schools.

Follow the money: OpenAI is seeking up to USD 20 bn in a new funding round co-led by UAE investors, according to CNBC. The lab has cut its valuation target to USD 1.25 tn from an earlier goal of USD 1.5 tn after some investors balked, the Financial Times reported. Abu Dhabi’s MGX first backed OpenAI in 2024, then co-led its record USD 122 bn funding round in March. MGX also backs rivals Anthropic and xAI.