On this side of the Atlantic, all eyes are on the UAE Stargate data center project. Now, major technology firms, including Nvidia, Cisco, and OpenAI are coming together to support it. The opening phase of this ambitious initiative brings online, 1-gigawatt compute cluster. This upgrade will significantly enhance the region’s technological infrastructure and further propel its goals as a national leader in artificial intelligence.
OpenAI, a key player in the project, announced in February its consideration of constructing U.S. Stargate data center campuses across 16 states. These locations include Arizona, California, Florida, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. This widespread footprint is a testament to how critical data centers have become in enabling the rapid development and implementation of AI technologies nationwide.
Interestingly enough, Oracle Corporation co-founder Larry Ellison joined for the U.S. Stargate announcement. His participation underlines the importance of this project to the project’s larger tech ecosystem. Right now, there’s construction happening on one of those data centers—an enormous colocation data center in Abilene, Texas. The new facility is slated for completion in mid-2026. It will serve an important function in counterpart to the U.S. Stargate initiative.
The AI infrastructure project that will soon be joined by the U.S. Stargate data center has the same name. This effort became a reality when former President Donald Trump announced the project shortly after taking office. Trump’s support for this initiative reflects his administration’s focus on fostering technological growth and innovation.
In a notable diplomatic context, Trump visited the UAE during his second term’s first foreign trip, which included a visit to Saudi Arabia. At the end of this trip, I was reminded again how important international relationships are to help grow these movements. It highlighted the UAE’s growing position as a hub for technological innovation in the Middle East.
As the UAE Stargate project continues to develop though, its hope is to close technological divides and create an environment of cooperation among the tech sector. Heavy hitters, including Nvidia, Cisco and OpenAI support this effort. Their support makes it a cornerstone for future advancements in AI and data processing capabilities.