Dubai: The move is part of a sweeping new partnership with OpenAI under the ambitious “Stargate UAE” initiative to build the largest AI supercomputing cluster on the planet.

OpenAI has announced the collaboration with Abu Dhabi-based tech powerhouse G42, launching a high-stakes project to create a vast AI infrastructure as part of its “OpenAI for Countries” initiative. Central to the deal is Stargate UAE, an AI supercomputing hub backed by industry giants including Oracle, Nvidia, SoftBank, Cisco, and G42. The first data center is scheduled to go live next year.

As part of the collaboration, all UAE citizens and residents will now have free access to ChatGPT Plus, which typically costs $20 per month. This nationwide rollout marks a world-first, underlining the UAE’s aggressive investment in next-gen technology.

G42 will also match OpenAI’s investments dollar-for-dollar in future U.S.-based data centers, reflecting a transcontinental AI alliance worth tens of billions of dollars. A separate U.S.-UAE agreement will see the development of a 5-gigawatt AI campus in Abu Dhabi—enough to power an entire U.S. state—positioning the site as the largest AI facility outside the U.S.

However, the deal has sparked political debate in Washington. Some policymakers, including Rep. Ro Khanna, criticized the decision to build abroad rather than in states like Ohio or Pennsylvania. Others, like former Trump advisor David Sacks, applauded the UAE partnership as a strategic move to counterbalance China’s AI ambitions. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman defended the global initiative, dismissing critics as “naive” and stressing the global scale needed to realize AI’s full potential.