EL7.AI
GeopoliticsMediumUpdated•Originally published 11 September 2026•Updated 11 September 2026•
2 min read

UAE Reviews 5 GW AI Campus After Iran War

Key Facts

1The UAE is reviewing a 5 GW AI project, with most of it potentially distributed across multiple sites.
2The original Abu Dhabi plan covered 10 square miles, or 26 square kilometers.
3Stargate UAE is a 1 GW cluster within the 5 GW project.
4The first 200 MW of Stargate UAE is expected to go live in 2026.

The UAE is reviewing the design of a 5 GW AI data-center project after the Iran war prompted authorities to reassess where critical infrastructure should be built and how it should be protected, Reuters reported. Most of the project will likely become a network of sites across the country, while the first phase is expected to proceed with security modifications.

The original plan centered on a 10-square-mile, or 26-square-kilometer, campus in Abu Dhabi. Announced in May 2025 as the largest infrastructure deployment of its kind outside the United States, the campus was designed to provide 5 GW of data-center capacity and to be built by G42 with U.S. technology partners.

Protective options under consideration include placing some facilities underground, housing systems containing the most sensitive data inside mountains, and adding air defenses, missile and drone interceptors, and electronic jamming equipment. Blast-resistant concrete and backup power and cooling systems are also being considered.

The review began after Iranian missile and drone attacks on Gulf states hosting U.S. forces. Tehran said its attacks were aimed at U.S. assets, but strikes also hit buildings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Dubai's airport, ports and energy infrastructure, according to the Associated Press, making physical risk a direct factor in the design and operation of digital infrastructure.

Stargate UAE is a 1 GW compute cluster within the wider 5 GW project, with the first 200 MW expected to go live in 2026. G42 is building the cluster, OpenAI and Oracle are involved in its operation, and NVIDIA, Cisco and SoftBank are also partners.

Distributing capacity across several locations could reduce the risk that damage to one site disrupts the entire project, but it adds requirements for redundancy, protection and connectivity. Reuters could not determine when a final plan would be approved or how changes might affect costs and timing. G42 says work is progressing as planned while details remain under continuous review, and OpenAI says the effort is making good progress.