Iran Threat Prompts UAE Rethink of Major AI Campus

The United Arab Emirates is reevaluating plans for one of the largest artificial intelligence data center projects outside the US after the war in the Middle East exposed the vulnerability of critical infrastructure in the Persian Gulf.

The 5-gigawatt UAE-US AI Campus was originally planned as a large-scale complex near Abu Dhabi, but officials are now considering spreading the data centers across multiple locations, according to Reuters sources.

Some facilities could be built underground or in the mountains. Officials are also considering air defenses, electronic signal-jamming systems, more resilient concrete and backup power and cooling systems. Concerns intensified after Amazon Web Services data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain were damaged in March.

Iran has also identified Stargate UAE as a potential target. The first phase of the $30bn project is set to proceed, albeit with additional security measures.

The project is a key part of the United Arab Emirates’ ambition to become a global hub for artificial intelligence.

(Reuters, mja)