DUBAI : The high-level discussions focused on expanding AI research and applications, reinforcing the UAE’s vision of an integrated AI ecosystem within its knowledge-based economy. Altman praised the UAE’s forward-looking AI strategy and growing international partnerships, calling the nation’s approach “bold, responsible, and ambitious.”

The visit came just days after Altman was awarded the inaugural honorary doctorate from the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the ceremony, where MBZUAI President Professor Eric Xing lauded Altman’s role in taking AI “from research labs to real-world impact at an unprecedented scale.”

Saturday’s meeting was attended by Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled, Deputy Ruler Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and senior government officials. It builds on a series of collaborations, including Stargate UAE, a 1-gigawatt AI computing cluster in Abu Dhabi announced in May 2025 under OpenAI’s “OpenAI for Countries” initiative. The project, developed in coordination with the U.S. government, is expected to go live in 2026.

The UAE has already pioneered national-scale adoption by becoming the first country to enable ChatGPT nationwide, with applications stretching across government, energy, healthcare, education, and transportation sectors.

The deepening ties also align with the UAE’s National AI Strategy 2031, which aims for artificial intelligence to contribute 14% of GDP by 2030. Abu Dhabi’s AI sector has surged 61% between June 2023 and June 2024, with more than 150 new AI companies established in the first half of 2025.

Founded in 2019, MBZUAI remains central to this growth. The university launched its undergraduate program in March 2025 and now serves over 700 students from 47 nationalities, cementing the UAE’s role as a global AI education and research hub.