Under Stargate UAE initiative
The United Arab Emirates is poised to become the first country in the world to offer free access to ChatGPT Plus – the subscription-based version of ChatGPT offered by OpenAI – to all residents of the Arabian Gulf country.
The groundbreaking initiative is part of a high-profile collaboration between OpenAI and the UAE government, forming the cornerstone of a new project known as Stargate UAE.
The announcement comes alongside OpenAI’s plans to build what will become the world’s largest AI supercomputing cluster in Abu Dhabi. This new infrastructure project is being developed in partnership with the UAE-based technology firm G42 and forms the inaugural phase of OpenAI’s global programme, “OpenAI for Countries.”
ChatGPT Plus, which typically costs users $20 (AED73.60) per month, offers enhanced features, including faster response times and early access to new tools. It is designed to provide enhanced features compared to the free tier.
ChatGPT Plus typically offers subscribers the more advanced GPT-4o model, which provides faster responses, better reasoning capabilities, and access to premium features like web browsing, file uploads, and image generation. This makes ChatGPT Plus particularly useful for professionals, students, and developers seeking more powerful AI assistance in tasks like writing, coding, research, and content creation.
With the new initiative, every person residing in the UAE – including UAE nationals and expatriates – will gain unrestricted access to the premium version of the popular AI chatbot, positioning the nation at the forefront of digital innovation.
No timeline has been announced for when the free service will begin, although indications are that it will be in 2026.
Stargate UAE will deliver 1 gigawatt of AI computing power, with 200 megawatts expected to go live by 2026. This advanced supercomputing facility will extend its capabilities across a 2,000-mile radius, potentially serving half of the global population. It is expected to empower the UAE in key sectors, including healthcare, education, transportation, and energy, thereby accelerating national innovation and enhancing public services.
The Stargate UAE partnership includes global tech giants Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank, and was closely coordinated with the United States government. In parallel, the UAE is also investing in the expansion of the Stargate AI infrastructure within the United States, further deepening bilateral cooperation on advanced technologies.
This comes as the UAE pledged a historic $1.4 trillion investment in the US economy earlier this year, a commitment that is anticipated to generate jobs, drive technological progress, and reinforce both countries’ positions as leaders in AI development.
Sam Altman’s OpenAI says the Stargate initiative represents its long-term commitment to developing safe, secure, and globally beneficial artificial general intelligence. The UAE deployment marks the first international rollout of this infrastructure, with more country-level partnerships expected to follow.
Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer of OpenAI, will begin a tour across the Asia Pacific next week to explore similar collaborations with other governments. The company aims to establish ten strategic partnerships worldwide in the first phase of the OpenAI for Countries initiative, ultimately building a distributed and democratically aligned AI network.
Image: A ChatGPT Plus subscription typically costs $20 (AED73.60) per month. Credit: Andrew Neel
