New AI campus is largest outside U.S., to host U.S. hyperscalers and large enterprises - Commerce Department

New AI campus is largest outside U.S., to host U.S. hyperscalers and large enterprises - Commerce Department

Abu Dhabi, UAE; May 16, 2025: The UAE and the United States have marked a significant milestone in their artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration with the unveiling of a new 5GW UAE-US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi. This AI campus, the largest outside the U.S., was officially inaugurated today in the presence of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and former U.S. President Donald J. Trump. The new campus will be home to U.S. hyperscalers and large enterprises, providing a regional platform for AI data centers with a capacity of 5GW.

The UAE-US AI Campus is part of a broader framework, the "US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership," aimed at deepening cooperation and collaboration between the two countries in AI and advanced technologies. The campus will span 10 square miles within the Emirate and will be built by G42, the UAE’s national AI champion, in partnership with several U.S. companies. The endeavor will leverage nuclear, solar, and gas power to minimize carbon emissions and will house a science park driving advancements in AI innovation.

The UAE has been at the forefront of AI adoption, appointing a federal Minister of Artificial Intelligence in 2017 and establishing the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence in 2019. The country's national AI strategy, launched in 2017, is on track to make the UAE a global AI hub. The UAE-US AI Campus is a testament to this commitment, providing a platform for regional compute capacity to serve nearly half of the global population living within 3,200 km (2,000 miles) of the UAE.

The campus will operate under stringent measures to prevent the diversion of advanced AI technologies, with enhanced Know-Your-Customer protocols to regulate access to the compute resources. U.S. hyperscalers and approved cloud service providers will manage the data centers, ensuring the security and integrity of U.S. technology.

The UAE-US AI Campus represents a significant investment in AI infrastructure and underscores the strategic partnership between the two nations. It is expected to drive innovation, promote major investment in advanced semiconductors and data centers, and extend the world's leading American tech stack to an important strategic partner in the region.

References:
[1] https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2025/05/uae-and-us-presidents-attend-unveiling-phase-1-new-5gw-ai-campus-abu