OpenAI has signed deals across the energy, investment and government sectors in the United Arab Emirates, as AI Labs works to secure funding from regional investors as part of a $20 billion round.
CEO Sam Altman met with Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, as the Institute for Artificial Intelligence secured arrangements to use its models in a number of areas, the Abu Dhabi Media Office announced on Monday.
The Middle East has emerged as an important AI hub in recent years, with major US tech companies signing deals to develop huge data centers in the region, but ongoing conflicts are testing its appeal.
OpenAI and Anthropic have turned to investors in the Middle East as they seek an ever-larger pool of capital to fund their growth.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX has backed both institutes, including co-lead Anthropic’s $30 billion raise in February and OpenAI’s $122 billion raise in March. OpenAI is now aiming to raise $20 billion in a new funding round co-led by UAE investors, CNBC reported on Saturday.
“Abu Dhabi and the UAE are setting bold global standards for AI integration across the public and private sectors to ensure the benefits of AI reach everyone,” Altman said in a statement. “We are proud to support the UAE’s ambitions, which are built on a shared commitment to safety, accessibility and responsible innovation.”
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) G42 has signed an agreement to deploy OpenAI’s frontier technology. Sovereign investor Mubadala, Inception42 and OpenAI have signed an agreement to apply advanced AI capabilities to investment analysis.
The Abu Dhabi government has announced a collaboration with AI Lab to translate government policies and regulations into machine-readable format. Inception42 and OpenAI also signed a five-year agreement that will enable frontier AI adoption across government, business, and education.
