OpenAI deepens Abu Dhabi foothold as Sam Altman inks deals spanning energy, government and investment

OpenAI has signed deals across energy, investment and government sectors in the United Arab Emirates as the AI lab works to secure funding from investors in the region as part of a $20 billion round.CEO Sam Altman met with Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, as the artificial intelligence lab secured arrangements for a number of sectors to use its models, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said on Monday. While the Middle East has emerged as a key AI hub in recent years, with U.S. big tech companies signing deals to develop huge data centers in the region, ongoing conflict has tested that appeal. OpenAI and Anthropic have turned to Middle East investors as they've looked for ever-larger pools of capital to fund growth. MGX, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm, has backed both labs, including co-leading Anthropic's $30 billion raise in February and OpenAI's $122 billion raise in March. OpenAI is currently seeking to raise $20 billion in a new funding round co-led by investors from the United Arab Emirates, CNBC reported on Saturday."Abu Dhabi and the UAE are setting a bold, global standard for AI integration acros...