OpenAI users in the UAE will now be able to avail data residency, allowing organisations to store data at rest in-region when using ChatGPT Enterprise, ChatGPT Edu, or building on OpenAI’s API Platform.
This allows organisations in the UAE to store data locally, helping them meet national compliance, governance and operational requirements as they scale the use of AI.
Data residency boosts AI confidence
Farouk El Hamzawi, Head of Enterprise, OpenAI MENA, commented: “Organisations across the UAE are adopting AI at a remarkable pace, supported by the Government’s clear long-term vision and commitment to technology leadership.
“As the UAE advances its Vision 2031 goals and the work of the Office of Artificial Intelligence drives national adoption, we are proud to expand our data residency options to support this ambition. This step gives UAE institutions greater choice and confidence as they build with AI, and we look forward to continuing to partner across the public and private sectors to help realise this vision.”
AI is increasingly popular among people and businesses across the UAE.
In the last year, OpenAI has tripled its UAE user base, with around 60 per cent of 18–24-year-olds and half of 25–34-year-olds using ChatGPT every week. This momentum is translating into strong enterprise adoption. Emirates Airline recently signed an agreement with OpenAI to adopt its products across its businesses. Several organisations, like G42, Mubadala, Aldar, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Khalifa University, NYU Abu Dhabi and others, are deploying OpenAI technologies to increase productivity, accelerate innovation.
As organisations deepen their use of AI, many face evolving requirements around where data is stored, how it is processed and the regulatory frameworks that apply. The UAE data residency option makes it simpler for enterprises, public sector institutions and education providers to adopt AI while aligning with local policy and operational needs.
OpenAI has enterprise-grade privacy and security commitments, including encryption of data at rest and in transit using industry-standard protocols; enterprise or API customer data is not used to train OpenAI models by default; and contractual and technical controls, including configurable data retention policies.
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