South Korea to join UAE Stargate AI data center project

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South Korea to join UAE Stargate AI data center project

November 19, 2025

SEOUL,— South Korea said Tuesday it will join the United Arab Emirates in carrying out the United States supported Stargate project, a large scale plan to build a new artificial intelligence data campus in the Gulf region.

The announcement followed a summit in Seoul between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, according to the presidential office.

Officials in Seoul stated that South Korea will contribute to the development of computing capacity and energy infrastructure intended for what is described as the world’s largest grouping of AI data centers outside the United States.

The cooperation aligns with President Lee’s drive to strengthen the country’s position as a regional center for AI industries.

Lee took office on June 4 and has repeatedly said that greater investment in advanced technology is needed to support growth at a time when United States trade measures have influenced regional economic expectations.

South Korea is home to major semiconductor producers, including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix.

Both companies signed initial supply agreements in October to provide memory chips for OpenAI’s Stargate facilities.

Seoul officials said these early arrangements form part of a broader strategy to connect domestic chip manufacturing with expanding international AI infrastructure.

Ha Jung woo, the presidential secretary for artificial intelligence, told reporters that South Korea will also join work on a diversified power grid for the project.

He said the grid will incorporate nuclear generation, natural gas systems and renewable sources to support the high power demands of the Stargate program.

A strategic framework agreement signed Tuesday outlines deeper cooperation between the two nations in several areas related to AI development.

The document mentions joint efforts on AI investment, infrastructure planning, supply chains and research initiatives.

Stargate UAE is tied to an agreement arranged with the involvement of United States President Donald Trump.

That arrangement was reached even as earlier restrictions limited the transfer of certain advanced technologies to the UAE because of its ties with China.

The project’s first phase consists of a 1 gigawatt AI installation led by the state supported UAE firm G42. The development includes participation from U.S. based OpenAI, Oracle, Nvidia and Cisco Systems, along with Japan’s SoftBank Group.

(With files from Reuters)