Racks of servers at a data centre in Moscow. Investments into 1GW Stargate UAE will reportedly be in the $20 billion range, according to OpenAI. Bloomberg
Racks of servers at a data centre in Moscow. Investments into 1GW Stargate UAE will reportedly be in the $20 billion range, according to OpenAI. Bloomberg
Racks of servers at a data centre in Moscow. Investments into 1GW Stargate UAE will reportedly be in the $20 billion range, according to OpenAI. Bloomberg
Insight and opinion from The National’s editorial leadership
May 26, 2025
When one thinks about data centres – physical spaces used to host the IT infrastructure that forms the backbone of our modern digital societies – their advanced capabilities may mean that some still think of them as nascent technologies. Today’s hubs for servers, cloud storage and connection networks are truly impressive, handling trillions of gigabytes of data a second.
However, early forms of data centres have been around since the 1940s. The US military’s Electrical Numerical Integrator and Computer – the first general-purpose digital computer – weighed 30 tonnes, took up more than 165 square metres of space and required a small power plant for electricity. What is different now is that instead of a single supercomputer for one concern, such as the army, data centres are critical infrastructure as important as the national power grid or air traffic control.
Underlining the indispensability of modern data centres is what happens when they stop functioning. Last week, a fire broke out at an Oregon data centre leased by the social media giant X. The platform later suffered global performance issues that lasted several days, leading Elon Musk, the site’s owner, to post that “major operational improvements need to be made”.
At the launch of Stargate UAE were President Sheikh Mohamed; Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence; Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser; Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the UAE’s Executive Affairs Authority; Peng Xiao, G42 chief executive; Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia; Sam Altman, chief executive of OpenAI; SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son; Jeetu Patel, Cisco's president and chief product officer; Mike Sicilia, Oracle executive vice president; and Marty Edelman, group general counsel of G42. Photo: G42
It is in this context that one of the world's largest computing infrastructure projects is taking shape in the UAE. Abu Dhabi AI company G42 has teamed up with technology giants OpenAI, Oracle and Nvidia, alongside Japan's SoftBank Group, to create Stargate UAE. This will form part of a system of OpenAI-linked data centres around the world that are critical to today's economic, societal and business needs.
Investments into 1GW Stargate UAE – built in co-operation with Cisco and SoftBank Group and part of a planned 5GW campus – will reportedly be about $20 billion, according to OpenAI. This is part of UAE-US AI campus that will include 5GW of capacity for AI data centres in Abu Dhabi, announced during US President Donald Trump's visit to the Emirates. The new AI campus, the largest outside of the US, will be home to US hyperscalers and large enterprises that will use the capacity for regional computing with the ability to serve many countries.
That market-leading tech companies are committing to such a monumental project in partnership with the UAE highlights not only its capacity to host large-scale tech but its reputation as a place that has embraced data as the currency of the future. The country offers a secure environment for IT infrastructure, can supply the immense amounts of energy needed to run data centres, and has embraced AI and advanced tech at the highest levels of government.
The project is the result of years of building relationships. The Stargate announcement is just the latest in a series of high-profile agreements between the UAE and tech giants, as well as the US government with the White House announcing in March that the Emirates had committed to a $1.4 trillion investment framework related to artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing.
The project is the result of years of building relationships
Further developments are in the works. The UAE has at least 17 data centres, according to data compiled by industry tracker DataCentres.com, and has plans to boost this figure. Last month, telecom provider du and Microsoft announced that a hyperscaler data centre worth Dh2 billion ($545 million) is to be built in Dubai. This is aside from enormous investments poured into the UAE's data centre market by Oracle, Google and other big-name players.
Although the days of 30-tonne computers are firmly in the past, hosting the digital infrastructure of the 21st century offers plenty of challenges and opportunities. For an idea of how both will be met, looking at the UAE’s role as a major data centre hub is a good place to start.
Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
