The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, hosted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Abu Dhabi to discuss advancing collaboration in artificial intelligence. Their talks focused on expanding cooperation in AI research and its practical applications, reinforcing the UAE’s ambitions to build a robust, integrated AI ecosystem. This aligns with the country’s broader vision of becoming a global leader in AI innovation and a knowledge-based economy.
During the visit, Altman was honored with the inaugural honorary doctorate from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, recognizing his transformative impact on AI development worldwide. The award highlights Altman’s role in bringing AI from laboratories to real-world solutions and underscores the UAE’s commitment to nurturing AI leadership and global partnerships in the sector.
This meeting builds on existing UAE-OpenAI ties, including the May 2025 announcement of Stargate UAE, a massive 1-gigawatt AI computing cluster set to launch in 2026. The UAE became the first country with nation-wide access to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, reflecting deep integration of AI technology across critical sectors such as government, healthcare, education, and energy. Senior UAE officials, including Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed, attended the meeting, highlighting the strategic importance of this partnership.
The engagement supports the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031, which seeks to have AI contribute 14% of the country’s GDP by 2030. Abu Dhabi’s AI sector has seen rapid growth, with over 150 new AI companies emerging in the first half of 2025 alone. The Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence, established as the world’s first graduate-level AI research university, now serves more than 700 students from 47 nationalities, underscoring the UAE’s commitment to fostering global AI talent.
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