The United Arab Emirates is revising plans for a major artificial intelligence data-centre project following Iranian attacks on technology infrastructure in the Gulf, according to people familiar with the matter. The project, originally planned as a 10-square-mile (26-square-kilometer) AI campus in Abu Dhabi, is now likely to be developed as a network of data centres spread across the UAE.
The planned project has a total capacity of 5 gigawatts and is among the largest AI infrastructure projects being developed outside the United States. The changes are being considered as the UAE reassesses how critical AI infrastructure should be designed and protected following missile and drone attacks during the Iran war. According to sources cited by Reuters, authorities are considering measures including air-defence systems and underground construction to improve the resilience of the facilities.
The UAE-US AI campus is a central part of the country’s strategy to establish itself as a global artificial intelligence hub while reducing its dependence on oil. The project is led by G42, the Abu Dhabi-based AI company controlled by Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed al Nahyan, the UAE national security adviser and brother of the country’s president.
The broader initiative involves several major US technology companies. The UAE’s access to Nvidia AI chips and other advanced US technology is linked to commitments to reduce its AI ties with China and invest in the US-based Stargate initiative. Stargate is a joint venture involving OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank focused on building large-scale AI infrastructure.
The first phase of the UAE project is already under construction. Known as Stargate UAE, the initial phase represents a $30 billion, 1-gigawatt compute cluster, with the first 200 megawatts of capacity expected to come online this year. Oracle Chairman and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison has said that once completed, the facility will have enough capacity to connect UAE government agencies and commercial institutions with advanced AI models.
The security review follows attacks on data-centre infrastructure in the region. Two Amazon Web Services data centres in the UAE were damaged during attacks in March, along with another facility in Bahrain. In April, Iran’s armed forces also issued a video warning that Stargate UAE could be a potential target and displayed a map purporting to show the location of the planned complex.
The planned changes could see the remaining portions of the project distributed across multiple locations instead of being concentrated within a single large campus. Sources said authorities are also examining underground facilities and the possibility of placing infrastructure handling particularly sensitive data, including military-related information, inside mountains.
The UAE has limited mountainous terrain compared with its predominantly flat and desert landscape, but mountain ranges extend through parts of the northern and northeastern areas, including Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Similar approaches have been used elsewhere, with data centres being developed inside disused mines, Cold War-era bunkers and caves to provide additional protection for critical infrastructure.
The redesign could also incorporate multiple layers of physical and technological protection. According to the sources, authorities are considering drone and missile interceptors, electronic jamming systems and blast-resistant concrete. Additional backup power and cooling systems are also being considered to strengthen the resilience of the facilities in the event of an attack or disruption.
Despite the reported review, G42 has said that work on the AI campus is progressing as planned. In response to questions about possible changes, the company said that the project’s specifications are subject to continuous review based on the security, resilience and operational standards expected for critical infrastructure at this scale. OpenAI also said it was working with the UAE on its AI ambitions and making progress on infrastructure and adoption priorities.
The UAE’s decision to reconsider the physical design and distribution of its AI infrastructure highlights the growing importance of security and resilience as countries invest in large-scale computing capacity. The planned 5-gigawatt project is intended to support the UAE’s broader AI ambitions, while the revised approach could allow critical computing infrastructure to be distributed across several locations rather than relying on a single large campus.
The final masterplan has not yet been determined, and it remains unclear how the proposed changes could affect the project’s overall construction costs or timelines. For now, the first phase is expected to continue, with modifications being considered to strengthen protection against aerial threats while the UAE evaluates how the rest of its AI infrastructure should be developed.
