UAE revises 5 GW AI project following Iranian strikes

Six individuals familiar with the discussions told Reuters that the project, initially envisioned as a 26-square-kilometer campus, could be decentralized. Authorities are also considering protections against drones and missiles, including air defenses, reinforced buildings, and, for certain facilities, underground construction.

OpenAI reports that work on the infrastructure and the adoption of AI is progressing. The project involves several American technology groups and aligns with the UAE’s strategy to develop large-scale sovereign computing capabilities.

The UAE-US AI Campus, announced in 2025, is set to host Stargate UAE, a 1 GW computing cluster built by G42 and operated in partnership with OpenAI and Oracle. The first phase of 200 MW is expected in 2026. Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank are also participating in this initiative, which is touted as one of the largest AI infrastructure projects outside the United States.

The war is prompting the Gulf to strengthen its critical infrastructure.

This revision comes after attacks in March on US-related infrastructure in the Gulf. Reuters reports that two Amazon Web Services data centers in the UAE and another in Bahrain were damaged. In April, Iranian armed forces also released a video identifying Stargate UAE as a potential target.

This protective logic extends beyond the AI sector. The Financial Times reports that Dubai plans to bury fuel tanks as part of its new airport to reduce their exposure to drone or missile strikes, following damage sustained by surface facilities during the conflict.

The Emirati project is central to a technological partnership with the United States. G42, which is also collaborating with Microsoft on a data center project in Kenya, is leading the UAE campus initiative. OpenAI announced in May 2025 that Stargate UAE would be its first international deployment of the Stargate platform.

G42 informed Reuters that work on the campus is progressing as planned and that the project’s features remain subject to ongoing review of security, resilience, and operational requirements.