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UAE’s ‘Stargate’ AI Megaproject to Launch in 2026 with 100,000 Nvidia Chips

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A landmark AI infrastructure project in Abu Dhabi, dubbed Stargate UAE, is set to begin operations in 2026, becoming one of the largest and most advanced artificial intelligence data centers outside the United States. The project will be powered by an estimated 100,000 Nvidia chips, marking a significant step in the UAE’s ambition to become a global AI superhub.

The 1-gigawatt first phase is part of a broader 5-gigawatt, 10-square-mile site and represents the first outcome of a U.S.-brokered deal led by President Donald Trump. The partnership involves a collaboration between UAE’s state-backed G42, and major U.S. and Japanese tech firms: OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco Systems, and SoftBank.

Key Highlights:

  • Launch Timeline:

    • First phase (200MW) to be operational by 2026

  • Hardware:

    • Uses Nvidia Grace Blackwell GB300 systems, Nvidia’s most powerful AI chips

    • TrendForce estimates point to 1,400 servers, each with 72 chips, totalling ~100,000 chips

  • Scale:

    • Part of a 5-gigawatt megaproject to house the largest AI infrastructure outside the U.S.

    • Located on a 26 sq-km site in Abu Dhabi

  • Purpose:

    • Will allow UAE government bodies and businesses to access cutting-edge generative AI models

    • Positioned as a “first-in-the-world platform”, according to Oracle’s Larry Ellison

U.S. Policy Reversal

The announcement follows a significant policy shift by the Trump administration, which reversed Biden-era restrictions on exporting advanced AI chips to the UAE due to concerns over the country’s ties to China.

The U.S. Commerce Department will oversee a bilateral working group with the UAE to ensure compliance with:

  • National security standards

  • Ethical AI deployment

  • Global oversight of AI infrastructure

Strategic Implications

  • Geopolitical Impact:

    • The project cements UAE’s growing alignment with U.S. tech interests, even amid global tensions over AI dominance

    • Could challenge China’s AI influence in the Middle East and Africa

  • Commercial Influence:

    • Strengthens partnerships between OpenAI, Nvidia, and Oracle, anchoring them in the Gulf region

    • Offers a new AI deployment and monetization model based on national infrastructure rather than global cloud platforms

  • Regional AI Race:

    • The Stargate initiative follows Saudi Arabia’s recent moves to create its own multimodal Arabic LLMs

    • Marks a regional AI arms race underpinned by state-backed funding and global tech partnerships

Crusoe Secures $11.6 Billion to Expand Texas AI Data Center, Supporting OpenAI Infrastructure

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AI infrastructure startup Crusoe has raised an additional $11.6 billion to significantly expand its upcoming data center in Abilene, Texas, marking one of the largest funding rounds in the emerging “neocloud” space. The new capital brings the total raised for the project to $15 billion and will allow Crusoe to expand the facility from two to eight buildings, the company confirmed on Wednesday.

Founded in 2018 as a crypto-focused firm, Crusoe has since pivoted to become a specialized cloud provider for AI workloads, part of a new wave of “neoclouds” that offer tailored infrastructure beyond the traditional giants like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud.

Crusoe has been contracted by Oracle to construct the first data center for Stargate — a major AI infrastructure initiative backed by OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle, with a planned $500 billion investment in global AI infrastructure. According to The Wall Street Journal, the Abilene facility is set to become OpenAI’s largest data center.

“Our customer is Oracle. OpenAI is Oracle’s customer,” Crusoe clarified in a statement, emphasizing its indirect yet vital role in supporting the ChatGPT creator’s infrastructure needs.

The project is seen as part of OpenAI’s long-term goal to reduce reliance on Microsoft, its current primary cloud provider.

Key Details:

  • Location: Abilene, Texas

  • Total Buildings: 8 (up from 2)

  • AI Chips: Each building will house up to 50,000 Nvidia Blackwell systems

  • Sponsors: Crusoe, Blue Owl’s Real Assets platform, and Primary Digital Infrastructure

The facility will support intensive generative AI workloads, crucial for OpenAI’s future model development and deployment.

The explosive growth in demand for AI compute capacity has fueled an investment boom in data centers powered by specialized chips like Nvidia’s Blackwell series — a market Crusoe is aggressively entering.

Neither OpenAI nor Nvidia responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

OpenAI to Halve Revenue Share with Microsoft Amid Restructuring, Report Says

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OpenAI plans to significantly reduce the share of its revenue allocated to Microsoft by the end of the decade, as part of its ongoing corporate restructuring, according to a report by The Information on Tuesday. The AI firm reportedly informed investors that its revenue-sharing deal with Microsoft—currently 20% through 2030—could fall to 10% or less over the next several years.

The shift comes amid broader changes at OpenAI, which recently abandoned plans for a full conversion into a public benefit corporation (PBC) and reaffirmed nonprofit control, limiting CEO Sam Altman’s power while trying to balance mission-driven governance with commercial scalability.

The financial update shared with investors suggests a future where OpenAI is less dependent on Microsoft while still maintaining a collaborative relationship. In response to the report, OpenAI noted it is “finalizing the details of this recapitalization”, and said it continues to work closely with Microsoft. However, Microsoft declined to comment.

In January, Microsoft adjusted key terms of its deal with OpenAI, following its joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank to invest up to $500 billion in U.S.-based AI data centers—a move that signaled deeper integration of AI infrastructure beyond OpenAI’s models alone.

The current OpenAI–Microsoft partnership includes reciprocal revenue sharing agreements, access to OpenAI’s models on Microsoft’s Azure platform, and embedded use of ChatGPT within Microsoft’s enterprise software like Office and Azure AI services.

Microsoft, which has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI, is believed to be negotiating for continued access to OpenAI’s technology post-2030, as competition intensifies in the global AI race.