OpenAI Expands Ambitious Stargate Data Center Project to the Middle East

OpenAI is continuing to expand its large-scale Stargate data center initiative, this time with plans to build a new 1GW data center cluster in the United Arab Emirates.

The company announced the new "Stargate UAE" project, which will be developed in partnership with companies like G42, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, and SoftBank. The first phase of the project is expected to bring 200MW of capacity online by 2026.

According to OpenAI, the Stargate UAE data center will have the potential to provide AI infrastructure and compute capacity across a 2,000-mile radius in the Middle East region. The company says this is part of its new "OpenAI for Countries" global initiative to help governments build sovereign AI capabilities.

As part of the UAE partnership, OpenAI also plans to enable nationwide access to its ChatGPT language model, making it the first country in the world to have widespread public access to the advanced AI assistant.

The announcement of Stargate UAE comes just days after Elon Musk's new AI company, xAI, revealed plans to build the world's first "gigawatt" AI training cluster. This signals the continued race between major tech players to build out massive, energy-intensive AI infrastructure around the globe.

Overall, OpenAI's expansion into the Middle East underscores the company's ambitions to scale its AI capabilities and establish partnerships with governments worldwide. The Stargate UAE project could have significant implications for AI development and access in the region in the coming years.