San Francisco, June 14, 2026, 07:13 (PDT)
- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman canceled a planned trip to Abu Dhabi for this weekend, Semafor reported.
- OpenAI has canceled the trip even as it builds its UAE ties with Stargate UAE and eyes a possible public listing.
- There’s no verified report that Stargate UAE has halted, just news of its cancellation with no reason given.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman scrapped a planned trip to Abu Dhabi, Semafor reported, citing a source with direct knowledge. Altman was supposed to visit the UAE capital this weekend. The news puts more focus on OpenAI’s Gulf ties as the company works on capital plans and the region faces security questions. The reason for the cancellation isn’t clear. OpenAI and Mubadala did not respond to Semafor’s request for comment. G42 also declined to comment.
Semafor reports the planned visit was supposed to feature meetings with execs from Mubadala, Abu Dhabi’s G42, AI investment fund MGX, and ADNOC. MGX is already on OpenAI’s investor list, putting the UAE among OpenAI’s top backers for funding and infrastructure as it adds capacity for its AI models.
NDTV Profit reported Altman called off his scheduled trip to Abu Dhabi. The outlet said the decision casts doubt on OpenAI’s Stargate infrastructure plans in the region. UAE has become a key part of OpenAI’s global push, but NDTV noted there’s still no clear answer on why the trip was scrapped.
The timing is key with the visit planned while tensions ran high in the region. Semafor reported there was uncertainty about whether the trip would happen as the region stayed unsettled by the war in Iran. In a separate June 12 report, Reuters said the UAE was trying to dial down tensions through negotiations tied to Tehran and Washington. The UAE Foreign Ministry rejected claims that any Iranian funds frozen in the country had been released or moved. Semafor
OpenAI’s trip cancellation follows news that the company has confidentially filed for a U.S. IPO, according to Reuters. Details on the offering—a potential size, terms, or timing—haven’t been disclosed yet. One Reuters source said OpenAI could target a valuation as high as $1 trillion, possibly debuting in September. Reuters The Associated Press puts OpenAI’s valuation at $852 billion and quotes Emarketer’s Nate Elliott: “OpenAI doesn’t have a lot of other places to look for the enormous capital required to support its costs.” AP News
Stargate UAE featured in the Abu Dhabi visit. OpenAI said last year the deal covers a 1-gigawatt Stargate UAE cluster in Abu Dhabi, and 200 megawatts are expected online in 2026. UAE is also investing in U.S. Stargate assets. Partners listed in the agreement include G42, Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank.
G42 said at launch that its planned UAE–U.S. AI tech campus would cover 10 square miles and offer 5 gigawatts of AI data-center power. OpenAI’s Sam Altman called it a milestone in OpenAI’s move to build out infrastructure internationally. “By establishing the world’s first Stargate outside of the U.S. in the UAE, we’re transforming a bold vision into reality,” Altman said. G42
Stargate UAE hasn’t been confirmed as paused or canceled. The situation is unclear. Altman’s meetings didn’t happen, OpenAI hasn’t said why, and its UAE partnerships are now getting more scrutiny as OpenAI works on data-center expansion and a public markets push.
