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Stargate UAE; Qatar in China; "Stanford of the Gulf"
Augustus Media FZ LLC
May 24, 2025
Saturday, May 24, 2025
Happy Saturday everyone!
In a major leap for the region’s tech ambitions, the UAE will launch its first phase of the “Stargate UAE” AI datacenter in 2026, equipped with 100,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced chips. The project, backed by Trump-era policy shifts and global tech giants like OpenAI and Oracle, positions Abu Dhabi as a rising AI superpower. Meanwhile, Qatar’s sovereign fund secured a 10% stake in ChinaAMC, deepening Gulf-China financial ties. And Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI is stepping into the global spotlight, opening a U.S. research lab and training the next wave of AI talent.
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Stargate UAE: Region’s Largest AI Datacenter To Launch In 2026 With 100,000 Nvidia Chips
🔹 What Is It About
The “Stargate UAE” project, a 1-gigawatt AI datacenter in Abu Dhabi, is set to begin operations in 2026, powered by 100,000 of Nvidia’s top-tier Grace Blackwell GB300 chips.
It marks the first phase of a broader 5-gigawatt, 10-square-mile AI hub, part of a new deal announced by Donald Trump to build the world’s largest AI data infrastructure outside the U.S.
The project is led by UAE-based G42, in collaboration with major U.S. firms—OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco—and Japan’s SoftBank.
🔹 Why It Matters
Stargate UAE is the first global platform to offer UAE institutions direct access to frontier AI models, boosting the country’s ambitions to become a global AI superpower.
The project was made possible after the Trump administration lifted Biden-era restrictions on exporting advanced AI chips to the UAE, despite concerns over UAE-China tech ties.
It represents a landmark shift in U.S.-UAE tech cooperation, with Washington now focused on setting security standards rather than imposing bans.
🔹 What’s Next
The first 200 megawatts of computing capacity—roughly 1,400 servers housing 100,000 Nvidia chips—will go online in 2026.
A U.S.-UAE working group is being formed to oversee export compliance and security standards, potentially shaping global norms for responsible AI infrastructure deployment.
Once completed, Stargate UAE will become a regional AI backbone, powering government, commercial, and research sectors across the Gulf and beyond.
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China Approves Qatar Sovereign Fund’s Landmark Stake In Top Asset Manager
📰 What Is It About
China's securities regulator has approved a landmark investment by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) in China Asset Management Co (ChinaAMC).
The deal gives QIA a 10% stake in ChinaAMC, the country's second-largest mutual fund firm.
While the purchase price wasn’t officially disclosed, previous filings suggest the stake is valued at no less than $490 million.
This marks the first investment of its kind by a major Middle Eastern sovereign fund in China’s asset management sector.
❗ Why It Matters
QIA becomes the third-largest shareholder in ChinaAMC, which manages $250 billion in assets across mutual and exchange-traded funds.
The move reflects deepening financial ties between China and the Gulf, amid growing geopolitical friction with the West.
It showcases China's openness to Gulf capital as both regions push to diversify their global financial partnerships.
🔍 What’s Next
The deal could pave the way for more Gulf investments in China’s financial sector.
It may also accelerate joint ventures in fintech, wealth management, and sovereign investment strategies.
Observers are watching for further China-Gulf cooperation, especially as both sides expand strategic and economic alliances.
Trump’s Semiconductor Green Light Supercharges UAE’s AI Ambitions — And MBZUAI Is At The Center Of It
🔹 What Is It About:
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to lift semiconductor restrictions on the UAE, enabling the country to import 500,000 advanced chips annually through 2027.
A fifth of these chips will be allocated to G42, the UAE’s flagship AI firm, bolstering national development.
The move directly benefits Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI (MBZUAI), a young Abu Dhabi-based institution positioning itself as the “Stanford of the Gulf”, led by former Stanford and Carnegie Mellon professor Eric Xing.
🔹 Why It Matters:
The deal signals a major shift in U.S. strategy: previous administrations limited UAE’s access to sensitive tech due to its ties with China. Trump’s plan drops such conditions, giving the UAE unprecedented access to cutting-edge chips without requiring it to loosen China ties.
MBZUAI is emerging as a core engine of local AI talent, research, and innovation. It aims to reduce UAE’s reliance on foreign experts, incubate homegrown startups, and feed talent into firms like G42, TII, and Edge.
The school’s growth reflects the UAE’s broader mission: from appointing the world’s first AI minister to integrating AI into primary education and launching Arabic-focused large language models.
🔹 What’s Next:
MBZUAI recently opened its first U.S. lab in Sunnyvale, near Google’s HQ, to lead research on foundation models.
The school plans to expand its faculty by 225 members over the next five years, and will welcome its first undergraduate class this fall.
As 70% of graduates remain in the UAE, MBZUAI is expected to anchor the region’s tech ecosystem—provided it can maintain funding, scale its brand, and compete globally in research excellence.
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