The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will become the first country worldwide to offer free access to ChatGPT Plus to all its citizens and residents, according to Axios. This initiative is part of a major AI partnership with OpenAI under the ‘Stargate UAE’ project, which aims to build the world’s largest AI supercomputing cluster. Typically priced at $20 per month, ChatGPT Plus will be available at no cost as the UAE embraces this cutting-edge technology to advance its AI capabilities.
this was an extremely smart thing for you all to do and i’m sorry naive people are giving you grief. https://t.co/iTkQj9c9QW
— Sam Altman (@sama) May 16, 2025
OpenAI has announced a major partnership with UAE’s G42 to build a large AI supercomputing hub called Stargate UAE, as part of its new “OpenAI for Countries” initiative to help nations develop AI infrastructure aligned with their goals.
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A report by The New York Times states that OpenAI’s AI supercomputing hub in the UAE is part of a joint venture with tech giants like Oracle, Nvidia, SoftBank, Cisco, and G42. The first data center is expected to go live next year. G42 will also co-invest in similar U.S.-based OpenAI data centers, matching UAE investments dollar-for-dollar. Though OpenAI hasn’t revealed total costs, the project is expected to run into tens of billions in both countries.
For the first time ever, UAE will offer free ChatGPT Plus access to all citizens and residents as part of OpenAI’s Stargate UAE project.
This premium service usually costs $20/month per person.#ChatGPTPlus #UAE #OpenAI #StargateUAE #AIforAll pic.twitter.com/xi1I6J5S5O
— Halka Tech (@Halkatech) May 25, 2025
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s global push for large-scale data centers is gaining momentum with the new UAE deal, signaling progress on his ambitious “Stargate” vision. This aligns with a recent US-UAE agreement to build a massive AI campus in Abu Dhabi, set to run on 5 gigawatts of power—enough to power a U.S. state like Minnesota—making it the largest AI project outside the U.S.
The UAE’s AI partnership with OpenAI has sparked debate in Washington. While Trump-era officials like AI advisor David Sacks support the move to promote U.S.-backed AI in the Gulf over Chinese alternatives, others express national security concerns and question why such projects aren’t built domestically. Rep. Ro Khanna criticized the deal, asking why the data center wasn’t placed in states like Pennsylvania or Ohio. In response, Altman defended the initiative, calling critics “naive” and praising the strategic move.
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