A new, comprehensive 5GW UAE-US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi was unveiled today at Qasr Al Watan in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and President Donald J. Trump, 47th President of the United States. The new AI campus, the largest outside of the US, will be home to US hyperscalers and large enterprises that can leverage the capacity for regional compute with the ability to serve the Global South.
The UAE-US AI campus will include 5GW of capacity for AI data centers in Abu Dhabi, providing a regional platform from which US hyperscalers will be able to offer latency-friendly services to nearly half of the global population living within 3,200 km (2,000 miles) of the UAE. Once completed, the facility will leverage nuclear, solar, and gas power to minimize carbon emissions and will also house a science park driving advancements in AI innovation.
The campus, which will span 10 square miles within the Emirate, will be built by G42 and operated in partnership with several US companies. The endeavour builds on a new framework by the US and UAE governments, the “US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership,” to deepen cooperation and collaboration on AI and advanced technologies.
The UAE is committed to safeguarding advanced AI technologies by implementing stringent measures to prevent diversion and ensure controlled access to technology. The UAE and US will work together to enhance Know-Your-Customer protocols to regulate access to the compute resources, which are reserved for US hyperscalers and approved cloud service providers.
His Highness Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technology Council (AIATC) said: “Today’s agreement is a testament to the ongoing collaboration between our countries in artificial intelligence. It is an expression of the UAE’s commitment to pioneering innovation and fostering global collaboration in artificial intelligence, strengthening the UAE’s position as a hub for cutting-edge research and sustainable development, delivering transformative benefits for humanity.”
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard W. Lutnick said: “Today’s agreement launches an historic middle eastern partnership on AI between our two nations. It promotes major investment in advanced semiconductors and data centers across the U.S. and the UAE. In the UAE, American companies will operate the data centers and offer American-managed cloud services throughout the region. The agreement also contains strong security guarantees to prevent diversion of U.S. technology. By extending the world’s leading American tech stack to an important strategic partner in the region, this agreement is a major milestone in achieving President Trump’s vision for U.S. AI dominance.”
The UAE has been a pioneer in encouraging AI adoption in commercial and governmental activities. It was the first country to appoint a federal Minister of Artificial Intelligence in 2017 and established the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in 2019.
The country was also one of the first to launch a national AI strategy in 2017, the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, and is on track to become a global AI hub. This ambitious roadmap prioritizes transformative AI integration across critical sectors, including education, healthcare, transportation, and energy, cementing the UAE’s role as a pioneer in the global AI landscape.
