UAE Revises AI Data Center Plan After Iranian Attacks
The United Arab Emirates is reworking plans for a major 5-gigawatt AI data center project after Iranian attacks on U.S.-linked technology infrastructure in the Gulf raised concerns over the security of large, concentrated computing facilities. The project was initially planned as a roughly 10-square-mile campus in Abu Dhabi, but officials are now considering a network of facilities across the UAE instead.
The changes reflect growing concerns that large AI data centers could become strategic targets during regional conflicts. The UAE is also examining ways to make the facilities more resilient, including underground construction, blast-resistant materials and additional air-defense measures.
UAE Rethinks Large AI Campus Design
The project is a major part of the UAE's ambition to establish itself as a global AI hub. It is being developed through the country's partnership with U.S. technology companies under the Stargate UAE initiative, involving OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank alongside UAE-based AI company G42.
The original plan called for a concentrated 5-gigawatt campus in Abu Dhabi. Officials are now considering distributing the infrastructure across several locations, which could reduce the risk of a single attack disrupting a large portion of the country's AI computing capacity.
Iranian Attacks Raise Infrastructure Concerns
The change follows attacks in March that damaged data center infrastructure in the UAE and Bahrain. Amazon Web Services previously reported that objects struck one of its UAE facilities, causing fire, power disruption and connectivity problems.
The incidents have highlighted a new vulnerability for the technology industry. As AI data centers require enormous amounts of electricity, cooling systems, networking equipment and specialised computing hardware, damage to a single major facility can have consequences beyond the building itself.
Underground and Hardened Facilities Considered
UAE officials are now examining stronger physical protection for sensitive AI infrastructure. Some components could be constructed underground, while other facilities could use blast-resistant materials designed to withstand attacks involving missiles or drones.
The country is also considering additional air-defense measures around critical infrastructure. Officials have reportedly looked at locations that could provide greater natural protection, including facilities built into mountainous areas for certain sensitive or military-related applications.
Stargate UAE Pushes Ahead Despite Security Risks
The project remains central to the UAE's broader strategy of becoming a major global center for artificial intelligence. The Stargate UAE initiative began with plans for a $30 billion phase, with an initial 200 megawatts of capacity expected to come online during 2026 before the larger project is expanded.
The partnership reflects the UAE's effort to secure a significant role in the global AI infrastructure race. Building a large concentration of computing capacity, however, also means addressing the physical and geopolitical risks associated with operating critical digital infrastructure in a region experiencing continuing conflict.
AI Data Centers Become a Strategic Security Issue
The UAE's decision highlights how the security requirements of AI infrastructure are changing. Data centers were traditionally designed around factors such as access to electricity, cooling, connectivity and land availability. Increasing geopolitical tensions are now adding physical security and military resilience to that list.
For the UAE, spreading the AI campus across multiple locations could provide greater resilience while allowing the country to continue expanding its computing capacity. The revisions show that as AI infrastructure becomes increasingly important to national technology strategies, protecting the physical systems that power it is becoming just as important as securing the data and software running on them.
