UAE Funds Circle OpenAI at $1.4 Trillion Valuation Talk

United Arab Emirates investment funds are in talks to back OpenAI at a valuation that could reach $1.4 trillion, according to a FWDStart report. The same report names a second deal in the region: NEOPAY has agreed to buy a 65% stake in the payments business of noon, the Dubai-based e-commerce group.

The two transactions, if completed, would mark one of the most aggressive capital deployments by Gulf state-linked investors into artificial intelligence and regional fintech to date.

What is driving the $1.4 trillion figure?

The reported valuation under discussion for OpenAI — $1.4 trillion — would represent a dramatic escalation in the secondary market's pricing of the company's shares. OpenAI has attracted intense interest from sovereign wealth funds across the Middle East, with UAE institutions positioning themselves as long-term backers of frontier AI infrastructure and model development.

FWDStart, which first reported the talks, did not disclose the identity of the individual UAE funds involved, the size of the potential commitment, or the stage the negotiations have reached.

What does the NEOPAY deal cover?

Under the second transaction in the report, NEOPAY is acquiring a 65% controlling stake in noon's payments unit. The deal would give NEOPAY majority control of the payment processing operations attached to noon, one of the Gulf's homegrown e-commerce platforms.

The report did not specify the purchase price, the deal structure beyond the 65% equity stake, or an expected closing date.

Why does this matter?

Both transactions point in the same direction: Gulf capital is moving from passive positions in global tech toward controlling stakes and foundational AI bets. A UAE-backed commitment at a $1.4 trillion valuation for OpenAI would rank among the largest single-company capital commitments in AI history, while the NEOPAY–noon payments deal consolidates regional fintech infrastructure under local ownership.

Neither deal has closed. The reported OpenAI talks and the NEOPAY transaction remain subject to completion terms that FWDStart has not detailed, and final valuations and stake structures may shift before any announcement.