World's Largest AI Campus 'Now Under Construction' In UAE As Nation Commits To Tech Growth

“The future of AI will be shaped by countries willing to invest, to commit, and to be held accountable. We are all three - and we intend to be a model for others.”

With those remarks, UAE Ambassador to the United States Yousef Al Otaiba announced that the 5GW UAE-US AI campus is now under construction, while confirming that the first batch of advanced artificial intelligence chips has already arrived in the UAE, with more shipments on the way.

Speaking at the SCSP AI+ Expo on Saturday (May 9), Al Otaiba said the 5GW UAE-US AI campus is already taking shape, with the first 200 megawatts expected to come online“very soon”.

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

The project was first unveiled during a previous visit by US President Donald Trump to the UA. Al Otaiba said the US-UAE AI collaboration is not slowing down, describing it as "one of the most consequential economic partnership of this decade".

"The UAE is all in on American tech. We are not hedging. We are not diversifying away. We made a choice - and we are doubling down on it," Al Otaiba noted.

He added that the partnership includes major investments in the US, spanning AI infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing. "A trillion dollars already invested. $1.4 trillion committed over the next decade. More than 30 deals signed in the past year alone. We are moving, and we're moving fast," he noted.

A key component of the partnership is the 5GW AI campus, which will serve as a large-scale hub for advanced computing and AI development.

According to Al Otaiba, the Abu Dhabi-based infrastructure could potentially“serve roughly half the world's population,” positioning the UAE as a strategic bridge between advanced AI capabilities and emerging markets.

"This will be a model for how to deploy US technology responsibly and bring AI to the markets that need it most," Al Otaiba added.

Al Otaiba also emphasised that the UAE's current position in AI is the result of years of long-term planning and investment. "None of this happened overnight. The UAE has been building toward this moment for more than a decade," he said, pointing to the country's appointment of the world's first AI minister in 2017 and the establishment of Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence as milestones in its AI strategy.

He also pointed to new regulatory frameworks designed to ensure secure and transparent deployment of advanced technologies in partnership with the US.

"This framework covers AI, critical minerals, supply chains - the full architecture of the silicon age... The new club is built on AI, advanced technology, and trusted partnerships. Nothing signals that shift more clearly than what we are building together.

He added that trust and resilience will be central to the future of AI infrastructure. "We are working with the US to build the architecture that makes that principle real."

Reflecting on the UAE's regional experience, Al Otaiba said the country has learned how to strengthen critical infrastructure under pressure. "We have learned how to build in a dangerous neighboruhood," he said. "We are reviewing our critical infrastructure-data centers, energy facilities, logistics hubs. We will harden what needs hardening and close the gaps that were exposed."

He concluded by framing the UAE's approach as a practical model for the global AI era. "The question for this room - how you build AI infrastructure that is trusted, secure and globally deployable - is the question the UAE has been answering in practice, for years."

UAE ranks among leading global AI hubs in AI Index 2026 UAE's AI ecosystem is driving deployable defence systems, not prototypes, says Edge CTO UAE trains Emiratis in AI as tech plays increasing role in security, governance

MENAFN09052026000049011007ID1111090561