UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus to All Residents Through OpenAI Partnership
The United Arab Emirates has become the first country to provide free access to ChatGPT Plus—OpenAI’s $20/month premium AI chatbot—to all its residents. This comes as part of a broader strategic alliance between OpenAI & UAE government.
The deal includes building “Stargate UAE,” a massive AI infrastructure project in Abu Dhabi featuring a one-gigawatt supercomputing cluster, with 200 megawatts set to go live next year. The initiative aims to make the UAE a regional AI powerhouse.
This effort is aligned with OpenAI’s global “OpenAI for Countries” program, which supports countries in developing AI systems tailored to local languages, cultures, and policies, with a strong emphasis on data privacy and responsible AI use.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman praised the UAE’s “bold vision,” citing its potential to accelerate progress in healthcare, education, and clean energy. Major tech firms like Microsoft, Oracle, Nvidia, Cisco, SoftBank, and UAE-based G42 are involved in the collaboration.
The UAE will also match its AI investments at home with equal funding in the US, potentially totaling $20 billion across both regions, according to Axios.
Millions of UAE residents will now have free access to ChatGPT Plus, enhancing opportunities in areas like writing, learning, and programming. OpenAI’s Chief Strategy Officer plans to visit Asia-Pacific nations next to explore similar partnerships, with speculation that India could be next to join the initiative.
Source: OpenAI
Introducing Stargate UAE
Our first OpenAI for Countries partnership expands global AI infrastructure and access, in coordination with the U.S. government.
