OpenAI Plans 5-Gigawatt AI Data Center Campus Abu Dhabi

Nvidia, Abu Dhabi’s MGX, and French firms are collaborating to establish Europe’s largest AI data center campus near Paris with a 1.4-gigawatt capacity. Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly negotiating to become the main tenant of a massive 5-gigawatt data center campus in Abu Dhabi, a project led by the UAE tech conglomerate G42 and part of OpenAI’s broader Stargate initiative to build global AI infrastructure. This Abu Dhabi facility, covering 10 square miles and consuming power equivalent to five nuclear reactors, would dwarf any existing AI infrastructure from OpenAI or its competitors, more than quadrupling the capacity of OpenAI's initial Stargate site in Texas. The project signifies deepening AI cooperation between the U.S. and UAE but raises concerns among some U.S. officials about G42’s connections with China and potential risks of advanced technology access. OpenAI’s ties with G42 date back to 2023, and while the collaboration aims to accelerate AI adoption in the Middle East, it remains a complex and closely watched partnership. These developments underscore a global race to build vast AI data centers, with significant geopolitical and technological implications.