OpenAI Signs Four Agreements in Abu Dhabi, Pushes Fundraising

According to Bloomberg on November 2, 2026, OpenAI signed deals to deploy its technology across energy companies, investment firms and government agencies in the United Arab Emirates, as it sought billions of dollars in funding from the country's state-backed investors and deepened ties. Bloomberg did not specify when or where the agreements were signed, and did not name the counterparties.

State media reports from Abu Dhabi the same day gave a fuller picture: on November 2, 2026, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled met OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and witnessed the signing of four cooperation agreements spanning government, energy and investment. Under one of them, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company will deploy OpenAI's advanced AI technology, becoming the first energy-sector company to adopt it. Abu Dhabi's government and OpenAI will also launch a machine-readable government program that converts selected policies and regulations into machine-readable formats so officials can use them for compliance assessment. The exact value of the deals, and any funding commitments tied to them, were not disclosed.

Eastmoney reported that Altman appeared in Abu Dhabi on November 2 after a short visit to South Korea. He arrived there on October 30, held a discussion on October 31 with about 50 Samsung executives at the Samsung Human Resources Development Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, on the theme of how AI will shape the next decade and what it means for companies, then had lunch with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won before leaving the country that afternoon. Samsung framed the session as part of the group's push to drive an AI transformation across its management training, with discussion covering the direction of AI technology, its application potential, and its impact on corporate decision-making, organizational operations and the capabilities managers will need. Altman argued that merely adopting AI is not enough to gain a competitive edge. Eastmoney described the trip as an effort to advance AI infrastructure cooperation while expanding the AI application market. Public reporting currently stops at Abu Dhabi's announcement of the meeting and the four agreements, with no further details disclosed.