OpenAI’s Stargate UAE Aims for Initial 200MW Completion by 2026 in $500B AI Data Center Push
The UAE segment of OpenAI's Stargate project, a $500 billion global AI infrastructure initiative, is targeting operational status for its first 200MW phase by 2026. G42, the local AI partner, confirmed the timeline during a Dubai tech conference. This initial deployment represents just 4% of the planned 5GW capacity earmarked for the Emirates.
Stargate's multinational consortium includes tech titans Nvidia, Oracle, and Cisco, alongside SoftBank's semiconductor arm Arm Holdings. While the UAE development advances, parallel builds are underway in Norway through Microsoft's partnership and in India, signaling a distributed approach to next-generation AI infrastructure.
Announced during former President Trump's 2025 Gulf tour, the UAE project now faces scrutiny over final approvals. Sources suggest contractual details remain unresolved despite public announcements, potentially impacting the aggressive 2026 target for initial operations.