Strategic UAE: The Engine Behind the UAE’s AI Vision

Launched in 2025 by G42 with partners including OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank, Stargate UAE is a landmark AI supercomputing project. As part of a $500 billion global AI infrastructure initiative, it will feature a 1-gigawatt computer cluster, expanding to 5 GW — the largest outside the United States. Aligned with both the UAE’s Vision 2031 and National AI Strategy 2031, the Stargate AI cluster serves to reinforce national digital sovereignty, economic diversification, and sustainable innovation with the use of nuclear and solar energy.

The Middle East Institute hosted speakers from the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) in a webinar to explore Stargate’s scale, sustainability, strategic goals, and its role in shaping regional AI leadership.

The lecture was held via Zoom from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm (SGT) on Wednesday, 15 October 2025.

Watch the full talk here:

Listen to the full event here:

Speakers:

Ahmed El Safty is an economic advisor at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), with over 30 years of experience in economic policy, development finance, and strategic research. His career spans leading roles in regional and international institutions, policy think tanks, and academia.

Prior to joining the ECSSR, Dr El Safty served as a faculty member at the American University in Cairo (AUC) and directed the Delta Research Centre, a consultancy agency based in Cairo. He previously led the Loans and Technical Assistance Division at the Arab Monetary Fund in Abu Dhabi and provided consultancy services to the International Monetary Fund in Washington, DC. He began his professional journey as an economist at the Central Bank of Egypt.

Dr El Safty has advised policymakers across 12 MENA countries, offering technical support in economic policy formulation and implementation. His work focuses on macroeconomic stability, fiscal and monetary policy, and regional economic cooperation. His current research interests centre on geoeconomics, the economic impact of emerging technologies, global logistics and connectivity, and strategic resource management.

He holds a PhD and MSc in International Economics and Finance from Brandeis University (Massachusetts, USA).

Ahmed Alefari is a researcher at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR), specialising in Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity within the Advanced Sciences and Artificial Intelligence Department. His research focuses on the geopolitical and security impacts of emerging technologies, particularly on how AI systems and cyber operations are transforming global power structures and national security frameworks.

Mr Alefari earned his Bachelor’s degree in Engineering Management Information and Systems from Southern Methodist University (Texas, USA) in 2021, where his work on developing an AI-based predictive model for detecting corporate bankruptcy was recognised. He also completed an intensive summer program on technology-drive management at the Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2019.