In Abu Dhabi, OpenAI is planning to build a data center that is larger than Monaco

The enormous 5-gigawatt data center complex that OpenAI is reportedly planning to play a major role in constructing in Abu Dhabi may rank among the largest AI infrastructure projects in the world. As outlined in a recent Bloomberg report, this expansive facility is expected to cover approximately 10 square miles and would require an energy supply comparable to five nuclear power plants, vastly surpassing any AI infrastructure efforts previously revealed by OpenAI or its competitors. To illustrate the scale, the site would be larger than the entire country of Monaco.

The massive project is part of OpenAI’s Stargate initiative, a global venture that was unveiled earlier this year and includes collaboration with entities like SoftBank and Oracle. The goal is to build advanced data centers around the world equipped with high-performance computing hardware to support AI model training and deployment at scale. In this instance, OpenAI is partnering with Abu Dhabi-based tech giant G42, marking another significant step in its international expansion.

Building is currently underway at OpenAI’s proposed Stargate facility in Abilene, Texas, which is anticipated to have 1.2 gigawatts of capacity. However, the proposed Abu Dhabi facility would exceed that output by more than four times, positioning it as a critical hub in the broader AI landscape.

The project reflects growing technological cooperation between the United States and the UAE, which has developed over recent years. OpenAI’s ties to the region were first solidified in 2023 through a partnership with G42 focused on advancing AI across the Middle East. During a visit to Abu Dhabi, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised the UAE for its early embrace of artificial intelligence, remarking that the country had been championing the technology before it became a global trend.

Still, these international relationships are not without scrutiny. G42, established in 2018 and led by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan – who also serves as the UAE’s national security advisor – has faced concerns from U.S. officials due to its past affiliations with Chinese companies. These concerns were amplified by the firm’s known connections to blacklisted entities such as Huawei and the Beijing Genomics Institute, as well as individuals reportedly linked to China’s intelligence community.

In response to increasing political pressure, G42’s CEO revealed in early 2024 that the company had divested all of its previous China-based investments and no longer maintains any physical presence in the country. Tensions seemed to be reduced by this strategic change, especially after Microsoft, a significant OpenAI investor, contributed about $1.5 billion to G42. Following the investment, Microsoft President Brad Smith joined G42’s board, signaling deeper collaboration between the tech giants and reinforcing the importance of the region in the global AI ecosystem.