What is Stargate UAE?

Stargate UAE is a large-scale AI data-centre campus in Abu Dhabi announced on 22 May 2025 by OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, G42, SoftBank and Cisco. It is planned at 5 gigawatts of capacity across roughly 10 square miles. The first 1GW cluster is being built by G42 for OpenAI and Oracle using NVIDIA GB300 systems. It is part of the wider 'Stargate' AI-infrastructure effort and is positioned as a major compute hub outside the United States (source: OpenAI).

When will Stargate UAE be operational?

The first 200MW phase of Stargate UAE is targeted for the third quarter of 2026, according to reporting from December 2025. That is the first slice of a much larger build planned to reach 5 gigawatts over time. As with any project of this scale, timelines are targets and can shift (source: The National).

Who is building Stargate UAE?

Stargate UAE is backed by OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, G42, SoftBank and Cisco. The first 1-gigawatt cluster is being built by Abu Dhabi's G42 for OpenAI and Oracle, using NVIDIA GB300 systems. G42 is the local anchor partner, connecting the project to the UAE's broader AI ecosystem (source: OpenAI).

Why does Stargate UAE matter for businesses in the region?

Large local compute capacity changes the regional AI economy. It can lower latency and, over time, cost for AI services hosted nearby, attract AI talent and startups, and deepen the ecosystem of tools and partners around UAE businesses. For an SMB, the practical effect is a faster-maturing AI market on your doorstep — more reason to adopt AI early in real operations.

Is Stargate UAE the largest AI campus outside the US?

Stargate UAE is positioned as one of the largest AI compute campuses being built outside the United States, with a planned 5 gigawatts across roughly 10 square miles. Comparative 'largest' claims depend on how and when you measure, since projects of this scale are announced and built in phases. What's clear is that it is a frontier-scale build for the region (source: OpenAI).

Stargate UAE: Inside the Largest AI Campus Outside the US

Q: What chips power Stargate UAE?

The first 1GW cluster is reported to use NVIDIA GB300 systems — among NVIDIA's most advanced AI hardware. Access flows from a US–UAE agreement on Nvidia chip exports signed in May 2025, with first export licences reported as issued in October 2025. The exact chip volumes referenced in framework terms are reported figures, not officially confirmed (source: OpenAI; The National).

Stargate UAE is a planned 5GW AI campus in Abu Dhabi backed by OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA and G42, with a first phase targeted for Q3 2026. Here's why it matters.

Stargate UAE is a planned 5-gigawatt AI data-centre campus in Abu Dhabi, announced on 22 May 2025 by OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, G42, SoftBank and Cisco. Spanning roughly 10 square miles, it is being built in phases — the first 1GW cluster constructed by G42 for OpenAI and Oracle using NVIDIA GB300 systems, with a first 200MW phase targeted for the third quarter of 2026. It is positioned as one of the largest AI compute campuses being built anywhere outside the United States.

For businesses in the region, a build this size is not just a headline. It is the foundation of a maturing regional AI economy — and a strong signal about where to place your own bets.

What Exactly Is Stargate UAE?

Stargate UAE is part of the wider "Stargate" AI-infrastructure effort, localised to Abu Dhabi. The key facts, as announced (source: OpenAI):

Detail	Figure
Planned capacity	5 gigawatts
Footprint	Roughly 10 square miles
First cluster	1GW, built by G42 for OpenAI and Oracle
Hardware	NVIDIA GB300 systems
Backers	OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, G42, SoftBank, Cisco

The scale is the story. Five gigawatts of planned AI compute places the UAE among a very small group of countries hosting frontier-scale infrastructure — and G42 as the local anchor connects it directly to the UAE's broader AI ecosystem.

When Will Stargate UAE Go Live?

The first 200MW phase is targeted for the third quarter of 2026, according to reporting from December 2025 (source: The National). That is the first slice of a build planned to scale to 5GW over time.

A realistic note: timelines on projects this large are targets, and phased builds can shift. The direction — frontier compute coming online in the region — is the durable point.

What Powers It?

The first 1GW cluster is reported to use NVIDIA GB300 systems, among NVIDIA's most advanced AI hardware. That access traces back to a US–UAE agreement on Nvidia chip exports signed in May 2025, with first export licences reported as issued in October 2025. Reported framework terms reference large annual chip volumes, but those figures are reported, not officially confirmed (source: The National).

The chip access is what makes a 5GW campus credible rather than aspirational. Without frontier hardware, the building is just real estate.

Why Does Stargate UAE Matter for the Regional AI Economy?

Big local compute reshapes the economics around every business in the region:

1. Lower latency and cost over time. AI services hosted near the region get faster, and as supply grows, cost pressure eases. Anything you run that calls AI benefits.

2. Talent and startups cluster around compute. Frontier infrastructure attracts engineers, founders and capital. The ecosystem that forms around the campus is where many SMB-relevant AI tools and partners will emerge.

3. It deepens the UAE's hub status. Stargate UAE sits alongside Microsoft's investment in G42, homegrown models like Falcon and Jais, and a decade of government AI ownership. We connect those threads in why the UAE is becoming a global AI hub in 2026.

What Should a UAE Business Do About It?

You can't rent a gigawatt — but you can position to benefit from one:

Adopt AI now in one workflow. Don't wait for the campus to finish. Bookings, customer service and marketing are all ready for AI today.
Watch the ecosystem, not just the building. The tools, talent and partners forming around the campus are what you'll actually use.
Sequence it properly. Strategy, then implementation, then training. Skipping the first step is why pilots stall.

This is the core of how I work with UAE businesses — reading where the infrastructure is heading, then building AI into operations that move a real number. You can read more on the about page, or book a consultation via evolvxai.com. If you're earlier in the journey, our overview of AI consulting across the UAE and Middle East is a good starting point.

The Bottom Line

Stargate UAE — a planned 5GW, ~10-square-mile campus backed by OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA and G42, with a first phase targeted for Q3 2026 — is frontier-scale AI infrastructure arriving on the region's doorstep. The timelines are targets and some volumes are reported rather than confirmed, but the trajectory is unmistakable: compute, talent and tools are concentrating in the UAE. The smart move for any business here is to adopt AI early and ride the ecosystem as it matures.

Sources

"Introducing Stargate UAE" — OpenAI: openai.com
"Stargate UAE's first phase to be completed in third quarter of 2026" — The National: thenationalnews.com
"US approves first Nvidia chips to UAE" — The National: thenationalnews.com