The United Arab Emirates left OPEC on May 1, unlocking billions in oil revenue and redirecting focus toward artificial intelligence. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries had limited UAE output to 3.2 million barrels a day, despite the nation’s capacity to produce 4.8 million. At current Brent prices, that gap is valued at over $61 billion annually. Within days of exiting, ADNOC announced $55 billion in accelerated spending on oil, refining, and petrochemicals.
Babak Hafezi, CEO of HafeziCapital, said the Gulf’s capital is increasingly funding AI infrastructure rather than just financial ventures. “Gulf capital is structurally becoming infrastructure capital for the AI economy,” he noted. The U.S. AI industry is deeply connected to the UAE. Microsoft is building data centers there, while G42, a Gulf tech firm, is constructing a five-gigawatt campus for OpenAI. ADNOC is also investing in U.S. gas infrastructure, citing rising electricity demand from data centers as a driver.
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Hafezi emphasized that AI’s growth depends on energy, land, cooling, and long-term capital. MGX, a state-backed AI fund, is spending up to $10 billion yearly on AI deals, co-investing with OpenAI and Anthropic. ADNOC’s XRG is pursuing overseas energy acquisitions, including U.S. gas projects. G42, backed by the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund, is building the Stargate UAE campus for OpenAI, which could power millions of homes. The first cluster is expected to launch this year.
Microsoft committed $15.2 billion in November 2025 to build data centers in the UAE through Khazna, a G4链 subsidiary controlling over 70% of the country’s data center capacity. G42 is also investing in OpenAI data centers in the U.S. through a Microsoft partnership. ADNOC, XRG, and G42 did not comment on these moves.
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Ellen Wald, an energy policy expert, noted that increased oil production in the UAE would boost natural gas output, useful for data centers. XRG is evaluating 29 U.S. gas deals, including pipelines and export terminals. The firm holds stakes in a Texas gas terminal and expanded its position in January with a 20-year fuel supply agreement.
XRG’s chief investment officer, Nameer Siddiqui, told the Financial Times the U.S. is a key market for bold moves. AI data centers consumed 4.4% of U.S. electricity in 2023, projected to rise to 12% by 2028. Gas from XRG’s U.S. infrastructure will help meet this demand. Wald added that the UAE’s energy surplus could also fuel global gas exports.
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The UAE has U.S. approval to export advanced Nvidia processors, a rare access in the region. Hafezi acknowledged uncertainty about AI’s returns, but noted the UAE is assembling energy, capital, and geography few can match. “Sovereign power will shift from hydrocarbons to compute, energy access, and capital,” he said. The UAE aims to secure a seat at the table by bridging these areas.