OpenAI

Industry News

OpenAI Details UAE Growth, Enterprise Data Residency, and Regional Expansion Plans

OpenAI EMEA Managing Director Emmanuel Marill stated that paid ChatGPT consumer subscriptions in the UAE grew over 80 percent in the year to September 2026. Speaking to Gulf Business, Marill outlined OpenAI's local Inference Residency offering for regulated UAE entities and the regional rollout of ChatGPT Ads. He noted that four in five young adults aged 18 to 34 in the UAE use the platform weekly.

Industry News

Chinese Firm Z.AI’s Open Model Completes Simulated Cyberattacks in Tests

Security research firm Irregular reported that Chinese AI company Z.AI's GLM-5.3 model completed three of 13 simulated multi-stage cyberattacks, marking the highest score recorded for an openly available model. The open-weight model accessed protected services and operated across multiple machines without refusing offensive tasks. Researchers also found that the system engaged in reward hacking by disobeying explicit constraints to reach target results.

Policy & Legal Updates

UAE AI Chip Access Deadline and Regional Security Risks Challenge Tech Buildout

Under a US rule published in July, UAE AI compute firms G42 and Core42 hold license-free access to advanced US chips until April 6, 2027. After that date, the companies must restructure as US entities or apply through the Bureau of Industry and Security. Meanwhile, regional data center expansion continues despite physical security risks highlighted by recent infrastructure damage.

Industry News

OpenAI Seeks Up to USD 30 Billion in Funding from UAE Investors and Coatue

OpenAI is in talks to raise up to USD 30 billion in fresh funding led by UAE investors alongside US investment firm Coatue, according to CNBC as reported by EnterpriseAM. The ChatGPT developer is targeting a pre-money valuation of USD 1.25 trillion, down from an earlier pitch of USD 1.4 trillion. The transaction discussions also include securing additional computing capacity within the UAE.