In May, OpenAI announced a 1 GW Stargate cluster in Abu Dhabi, with...
Epoch AI@EpochAIResearch
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Dec 01, 2025
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In May, OpenAI announced a 1 GW Stargate cluster in Abu Dhabi, with an initial 200 MW expected in 2026. We located this cluster from space and found it will barely make that 200 MW milestone, by end of 2026. Optimistically, the cluster can scale to 1 GW by Q3 2027. See how in 🧵
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We couldn't readily find information about Stargate UAE's location. So we looked for it from space. After searching for tiny changes in the color of land around Abu Dhabi at different times, we found a promising area.
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We then purchased a high-resolution satellite image of the area, finding two buildings that strongly resemble a photo published by Khaleej Times. This made us confident that we’d found the first phase of the Stargate UAE project. khaleejtimes.com/uae/stargate-u…
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Khaleej Times also reported that Khazna Data Centers, a G42 company, is developing the cluster. In 2024, Khazna began building a separate 100 MW data center in Ajman. The two Stargate buildings closely match the scale and design of this 100 MW site, supporting the 200 MW claim.
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But the Ajman building was delayed by over a year. Will Stargate UAE really have 200 MW operational in 2026? Its buildings are a few months behind the Ajman building, but they are moving faster. So we think 200 MW is feasible by December 2026, barely making the original deadline.
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When will Stargate UAE reach 1 GW? We don't see clear signs beyond 200 MW yet. Optimistically, 8 more 100 MW buildings could start construction this December, and take 1.5 years like the first two, hitting 1 GW by Q3 2027. That’d still be over a year behind leading US projects.
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Learn more about Stargate UAE and other frontier data centers with our free explorer!
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