A massive new artificial data center in the United Arab Emirates is set to come online in 2026 and may include around 100,000 Nvidia chips.
This “Stargate UAE” project is part of a deal facilitated by former President Trump last week, which aims to create the largest AI data center outside the US. This occurs amid prior US limitations on transferring advanced technology to the UAE due to its close ties with China.
Spread across a 10-square mile (26 sq km) area in Abu Dhabi, the completed data center will ultimately have a capacity of 5 gigawatts.
The first phase involves a 1-Gigawatt initiative called Stargate UAE, developed by G42, a state-backed UAE company, in collaboration with US firms like OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco Systems, and Japan’s SoftBank Group.
On Thursday, the company mentioned that the Stargate project will utilize Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell GB300 system.
The initial 200 megawatts of capacity are expected to be operational in 2026.
While specific server details were limited, analysts from Trendforce indicate that the GB300 servers, equipped with 72 chips and consuming about 140 kilowatts of power, would equate to roughly 1,400 servers or 100,000 Nvidia chips.
In a statement, Larry Ellison, Oracle’s Chief Technology Officer and Chairman, shared his thoughts on the matter.
This week, the Trump administration rolled back restrictions that President Biden had put in place, which aimed to limit the export of AI chips to nations like the UAE.
The Commerce Department, responsible for overseeing export controls, has stated it won’t announce immediate replacements for those rules. However, it indicated plans to initiate a working group between the US and the UAE to ensure the project aligns with other responsible AI infrastructure initiatives globally.
