UAE weighs moving 5-gigawatt AI data center underground

The UAE is weighing physical changes to two flagship infrastructure efforts at the same time: a 5-gigawatt AI data center project with US technology partners and the multibillion-dollar relocation of Dubai's main airport south of the city. According to Reuters, the AI data center was originally planned as a 10-square-mile campus in Abu Dhabi, but is now likely to become a network of facilities dispersed across the country. Air defense systems and some underground construction are among the modifications under consideration.

Separately, Dubai Airports CEO Paul Griffiths told the Financial Times that the airport relocation may include underground fuel storage tanks, while the plan to handle 250 million passengers a year remains unchanged.

Together, the two items suggest that protection against future attacks is shaping design choices for large projects in the UAE. The outcome for the AI data center appears to hinge on whether the dispersed, partially underground configuration is adopted, while the airport plan hinges on whether underground fuel storage is included without altering its 250 million passenger target.