Project ATLAS Unveiled: UAE’s Bold Leap into Decentralized AI and Blockchain

Gewan Holding, part of Abu Dhabi’s NG9 Holding, has partnered with decentralized infrastructure pioneer Iopn to accelerate the development of sovereign AI, blockchain and digital identity solutions in the United Arab Emirates.

Introducing Project ATLAS

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) conglomerate Gewan Holding has partnered with Iopn, a pioneer in decentralized infrastructure, in a collaboration aimed at accelerating the development of sovereign artificial intelligence (AI), blockchain, and digital identity solutions. At the core of this alliance is the deployment of a sovereign AI stack powered by Nvidia GPUs and anchored by Iopn’s proprietary OPN Chain.

According to a news release, this decentralized infrastructure integrates high-performance AI computing with a sovereign digital identity layer, enabling compliant, and scalable operations across governance, finance, healthcare, and real estate sectors. The OPN Chain also supports real-world asset (RWA) tokenization, biometric authentication, and modern payment systems—unlocking liquidity and regulated access to global capital markets.

Alaa Al Ali, Group CEO of NG9 Holding, which owns Gewan Holding, emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership:

Our collaboration with IOPn and the launch of Project ATLAS is not just about building technology—it’s about securing sovereignty and enabling the UAE to shape the digital future.

Project ATLAS (Advance Tokenized Liquid-cooled AI Stack), developed by Iopn in partnership with Betabytes—an official Nvidia Cloud Partner—will serve as a sovereign-grade AI data center. It is one of several initiatives under the broader Iopn ecosystem, which includes digital financial infrastructure, RWA tokenization, and the AI Academy & AI Factory.

Amer Al Osh, Chief Development Officer at Gewan Holding, meanwhile, said the collaboration delivers an infrastructure model that “reinforces digital sovereignty and unlocks new economic opportunities.” The partnership also ensures the UAE continues to set the benchmark for innovation in the age of AI and Web3, Osh added.

Iopn CEO Mojtaba Asadian described the OPN Chain as the cornerstone of a unified ecosystem for sovereign identity, financial infrastructure, and AI-driven innovation. “With NG9 Holding’s support and initiatives like Project ATLAS, we are building sovereign-grade digital infrastructure that empowers nations to harness AI and Web3 on their own terms,” he said.

Meanwhile, the news release also revealed that Gewan Holding had launched the Gewan AI Hub to promote AI adoption across industries. This initiative complements the UAE’s broader digital transformation strategy and reinforces the central role of Iopn’s ecosystem.

Together, Gewan Holding and Iopn aim to position the UAE as a gateway for sovereign AI and blockchain solutions. Additional initiatives under Project ATLAS are expected to be announced in the coming months, the release stated.