US AI chipmaker Cerebras to expand AI infra in UAE, CEO says

Cerebras Systems, a California-based AI chip company, plans to deploy its infrastructure in the UAE to support the region’s growing AI sector and expand into markets in India and Pakistan, according to CEO Andrew Feldman.

The company is targeting large-scale projects, including the Stargate UAE data center initiative, described as the world’s largest AI data center cluster outside the US.

Cerebras, which competes with Nvidia, counts Abu Dhabi-backed G42 as a major client. Its computers for G42 have so far remained in the US due to export license requirements.

The company recently withdrew its US IPO filing after raising US$1.1 billion from investors including 1789 Capital and aims to expand its data center count to 12 to 15 within six to eight months while still planning to go public.

🔗 Source: Reuters

🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Cerebras UAE shipment depends on U.S. export licenses

Shipping large Cerebras systems to Stargate UAE hinges on export licenses from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) 1. BIS administers export controls under the Trump administration, and G42’s past ties to China raise scrutiny in Washington.
The U.S. Commerce Department cleared several billion dollars of Nvidia AI chip exports to the UAE under a bilateral AI cooperation agreement 2. That move sets a precedent, yet Cerebras systems for G42 remain in the U.S. awaiting approval.
A UAE pledge to invest in the United States helped secure Nvidia’s licenses 1. Regulators may ask for similar economic or security assurances on later shipments from other vendors.

Infrastructure providers see openings in Middle East AI data center build-out

The Stargate UAE campus covers 10 square miles in Abu Dhabi with 5 gigawatts planned at full build-out 3. Early phases start with 200 megawatts in 2026, which opens bids for power gear makers, land developers, and liquid cooling suppliers 3.
Saudi AI venture Humain bought 18,000 Nvidia GB300 chips, the latest AI accelerators, to build up to 500 megawatts of data centers 1. The group plans several hundred thousand more chips across the Gulf over five years, which keeps demand strong for Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) work beyond Stargate.
Cerebras plans to expand from six to 12 to 15 data center sites in the coming months. That gives EPC contractors and utilities a window to stage capital and talent.