The United States and the United Arab Emirates will be able to build a large data center complex in Abu Dhabi, increasing artificial intelligence capabilities with a capacity of 5 gigawatts.
The agreement, released Thursday when President Donald Trump visited the UAE, is set to mark the deployment of the largest data centers outside the United States, according to the Commerce Department. It starts with a 1 Gigawatt AI data center, but ultimately covers 10 square miles.
The project is also expected to expand the footprint of American AI and cloud companies in the Middle East, allowing them to better serve the Global South. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was found at one of Trump’s UAE conferences, but the company has not been appointed by the Commerce Department’s announcement. Nvidia declined to comment.
The success of US tech companies is seen as key to maintaining the US position as a global superpower, so Trump has worked to drive AI investment.
The United Arab Emirates also says they want to become a global leader in artificial intelligence by 2031. Prior to Trump’s visit, UAE Education Minister Sarah Al Amiri said he is attempting to diversify the economy, particularly in the areas of AI and technology. Investing in AI infrastructure is considered important to ensure the future of the region’s post-oil.
The White House also announced an agreement on Thursday that pledged to build or fund a US data center that the UAE is “at least big and powerful” as the UAE’s.