UAE weighs scaling back 5-GW AI campus after Iran strikes Gulf targets

September 11, 2026 at 07:30 PM1 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

The UAE is considering changes to its planned 5-gigawatt AI data center campus in Abu Dhabi after Iranian attacks on U.S.-linked infrastructure in the Gulf. The project, led by G42, may be spread into a network of smaller data centers across the UAE to improve resilience against missile and drone strikes. The review follows Iranian drone damage to three Amazon Web Services facilities in the region earlier this year.

Key Facts

The UAE planned a 5-GW AI data center campus in Abu Dhabi in partnership with U.S. tech giants.
Iranian drones damaged three Amazon Web Services facilities in the region earlier this year, including two in the UAE and one in Bahrain.
G42, which leads the project, said the project's specifics are subject to continuous review in line with security and resilience standards.
The campus was intended to serve nearly half of the global population living within 3,200 km of the UAE.

Project Review

The UAE is considering spreading the planned 5-GW AI campus into a network of data centers across the country, according to Reuters sources including a U.S. official, a Western diplomat, and industry executives. The review was prompted by frequent Iranian missile and drone launches targeting U.S. assets in Gulf allies. G42 told Reuters that the project's specifics are subject to continuous review in line with security, resilience, and operational standards expected of critical infrastructure at this scale.

Attack Impact

Earlier this year, Iranian drones damaged three Amazon Web Services facilities in the region, with direct hits on two UAE facilities and one in Bahrain. Following several such attacks and attempts in the Persian Gulf, the UAE began reviewing the plans for the massive AI data campus. The campus was planned to be one of the biggest such facilities outside the United States.