The UAE is strengthening its position as a global digital hub with the development of the world’s largest data center in Abu Dhabi. The first phase of the Stargate Abu Dhabi center, offering 200 MW of a planned 5 GW AI supercomputing capacity, is set to become operational this year, enabling nationwide access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT services.
Currently home to 57 large data centers, the UAE’s data market is projected to grow from $1.74 billion to over $3.3 billion by 2030. This expansion supports the country’s smart city ambitions—with Dubai and Abu Dhabi ranked among the world’s top smart cities—and aims to realize Abu Dhabi’s goal of becoming the first fully AI-driven government by 2027. Enhanced data infrastructure will also power real-time urban management, autonomous transport, and broader AI adoption across government and services.
