Sam Altman isn’t going to Abu Dhabi. The OpenAI CEO scrapped a planned trip to the UAE capital where he was set to meet with regional companies, a cancellation that lands at perhaps the worst possible time for the company’s sprawling infrastructure ambitions in the Middle East.

OpenAI isn’t just building chatbots. It’s trying to build an entire constellation of data centers under the Stargate project, and the UAE is central to that vision. The company has been seeking somewhere in the range of $40B to $50B from UAE investments to fund the initiative.

A complicated history in the region

Altman has visited Abu Dhabi multiple times, including trips in 2023 and 2025, each focused on deepening OpenAI’s collaborations with regional partners.

Those partnerships have produced real results. An OpenAI-led consortium received approval for one of the largest AI data centers in Abu Dhabi. Key players in the relationship include MGX and G42, two UAE-linked firms that have been critical to executing OpenAI’s plans in the region.

What’s fueling the tension

First, there’s the Elon Musk factor. Musk has reportedly tried to influence OpenAI’s deal terms with UAE officials, a move that would serve his competing xAI venture.

Second, US export controls on semiconductor technology continue to cast a shadow over any advanced AI operations in the UAE. UAE-linked entities have not been exempt from that scrutiny, and OpenAI needs massive quantities of advanced GPUs to power its data centers.

Third, Iranian threats have been reported against Abu Dhabi AI facilities tied to OpenAI and Nvidia.

The Stargate stakes

The Stargate project envisions a network of data centers that would give OpenAI the raw computing power to train and run increasingly sophisticated models. The $40B to $50B in UAE investment the company has been pursuing represents a substantial portion of that funding. The Abu Dhabi data center approval was a milestone, but approvals and operational facilities are separated by years of construction, equipment procurement, and continued access to the semiconductor supply chain that US policy currently threatens to constrain.

What this means for investors

Worldcoin, the crypto project co-founded by Altman, is one obvious connection point. Shifts in OpenAI’s strategic direction or Altman’s bandwidth and focus tend to create sentiment ripples in tokens associated with his ventures.

If Musk’s reported interference proves effective at disrupting OpenAI’s UAE deals, it could redirect tens of billions in investment capital toward xAI’s competing infrastructure. Any tightening of semiconductor restrictions would directly impact not just OpenAI but every AI company with ambitions beyond US borders.