A recent collaboration announcement between OpenAI and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stirred widespread excitement and speculation across the country, with many reports claiming that all UAE residents will soon receive free access to ChatGPT Plus, the premium version of the AI chatbot.
However, the reality is quite different from these claims.
OpenAI confirmed earlier this month that the UAE will be the first country to implement nationwide access to ChatGPT as part of a strategic partnership aimed at integrating the AI tool into key sectors like education, healthcare, energy, and government services.
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Despite this, OpenAI has not announced that ChatGPT Plus will be available for free to the general public in the UAE.
This initiative is part of the larger Stargate UAE project, a multibillion-dollar effort to build the world’s largest AI-focused data center in Abu Dhabi. Covering 10 square miles, this facility, slated to begin operations by 2026, is being developed alongside major tech partners such as G42, Oracle, NVIDIA, and Cisco.
Powered by a mix of nuclear, solar, and gas energy, the center aims to deliver massive computing capabilities across the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia — regions home to nearly half of the global population.
The confusion around free ChatGPT Plus access largely comes from misleading headlines in local and international media, which suggested that every UAE resident would gain free access to the premium service.
Currently, users in the UAE can access OpenAI’s free ChatGPT version, which runs on GPT-3.5. The paid ChatGPT Plus subscription, which provides access to the more advanced GPT-4 model and additional features, remains priced at $20 per month.
Neither OpenAI nor UAE government officials have indicated any changes to this subscription pricing for individual users.
Nonetheless, UAE residents can expect to see ChatGPT and related AI tools increasingly integrated into government digital platforms, education systems, and healthcare services — providing indirect access to advanced AI capabilities without the need for a personal subscription.
Experts suggest that while free premium access for the public is not currently on the table, the partnership’s significance lies in building foundational AI infrastructure and establishing AI leadership in the region. “The Stargate UAE project is a landmark move in the country’s AI ambitions,” said a regional tech analyst. “It’s focused on AI sovereignty and long-term strategic dominance rather than immediate benefits for individual users.”
This development also marks OpenAI’s first major data center project outside the United States, highlighting the UAE’s rising strategic importance in the global AI arena.
