More details are here about the planned 5 GW data center complex in Abu Dhabi, which was announced during US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UAE last week. The project — set to be the largest outside the US — was among several AI and technology agreements included in the USD 200 bn in US-UAE agreements signed during the trip.

REFRESHER- What we know: The campus will be developed by state AI firm G42 alongside unnamed US partners, will span 10 miles, and will include a science park for AI R&D. It is expected to host US AI firms and could receive part of the 500k Nvidia chips the US is allocating to the UAE annually under a parallel export agreement. The agreement includes “strong security guarantees” aimed at addressing US concerns over G42’s historic ties to China. The cluster is designed to meet regional computation demand while complying with US security standards.

The complex is part of the newly established US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, a bilateral framework aimed at deepening cooperation on critical technologies and ensuring safeguards around shared infrastructure, state news agency Wam reports. .

The first phase will include the development of a 1 GW AI data center, according to Wam.

OpenAI is expected to be a major tenant of the AI campus, though participation has not been finalized, Bloomberg reports, citing sources familiar with the matter. The project would fall under OpenAI’s Stargate initiative — a USD 500 bn global AI infrastructure venture with SoftBank and US-based IT firm Oracle, unveiled earlier this year.

REMEMBER- OpenAI wants to ramp up its regional push: The company has reportedly been eyeing data center expansion in the UAE as part of its broader Middle East strategy. Its key backer Microsoft is already building a hyperscale data center in the country via state firm du.

If confirmed, this would be OpenAI’s largest overseas deployment. Its first US-based Stargate campus is planned at 1.2 GW — less than a quarter of the UAE site’s capacity.

Others involved: Abu Dhabi AI investor MGX — an OpenAI backer and Stargate partner — is also considering a role in the project. Oracle is also reportedly involved in the development’s first phase. Oracle also announced in January it would quintuple its investments in Abu Dhabi, citing surging demand for AI and cloud services. It currently operates two cloud regions in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and supports du’s sovereign cloud offering for UAE government clients, particularly in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

ALSO- As part of the broader US-UAE agreement, a joint US-UAE working group will be set up within 30 days to oversee implementation of the partnership, monitor progress, and coordinate the responsible deployment of AI both regionally and globally.

Tags: