Abu Dhabi-based Gewan Holding, a subsidiary of the NG9 Holding conglomerate, has entered into a partnership with technology firm IOPn to advance sovereign artificial intelligence, blockchain, and digital identity solutions. The initiative is positioned as a significant step to reinforce the United Arab Emirates’ standing as a global center for technological leadership.
Central to this collaboration is the development of a sovereign AI stack, powered by NVIDIA GPUs and integrated with IOPn’s OPN Chain. The OPN Chain serves as a decentralized infrastructure designed to merge advanced AI computing with a sovereign digital identity framework. The integrated model aims to deliver secure, compliant, and future-ready environments for governments, businesses, and individuals.
Building secure digital infrastructure
The initiative is expected to support a wide range of sectors, including digital governance, finance, healthcare, and real estate. It is also being designed to facilitate real-world asset tokenization, biometric authentication systems, and modern payment infrastructures. Through these applications, the partnership intends to enhance digital trust, provide liquidity options, and enable regulated access to international capital markets.
A key highlight of the alliance is Project ATLAS, short for the Advanced Tokenised Liquid-cooled AI Stack. Developed by IOPn in collaboration with Betabytes, an official NVIDIA Cloud Partner, ATLAS will form part of the larger OPN ecosystem. This ecosystem encompasses digital financial infrastructure, tokenization capabilities, and an AI Academy aimed at developing national expertise in artificial intelligence.
Leadership perspectives on digital sovereignty
Executives from both organizations emphasized that the collaboration goes beyond technological advancement, focusing instead on securing digital sovereignty and resilience for the UAE. NG9 Holding’s Group Chief Executive expressed that the partnership with IOPn, supported by the OPN Chain and Project ATLAS, represents a strategic move to ensure the UAE plays a defining role in shaping the future digital landscape.
Gewan Holding’s Chief Development Officer highlighted that the combination of the OPN Chain with an AI stack built on NVIDIA GPUs creates a distinctive infrastructure model. According to him, this model not only strengthens digital sovereignty but also generates new economic opportunities while reinforcing the UAE’s position as a leader in AI and Web3 innovation.
Meanwhile, IOPn’s Founder and Chief Executive described the OPN Chain as a fundamental element of the company’s broader vision. He explained that the chain serves as the backbone for sovereign identity, digital financial infrastructure, real-world asset tokenization, and AI-driven innovation within a unified ecosystem.
Expanding AI adoption through dedicated hubs
In parallel with these efforts, Gewan Holding has launched the Gewan AI Hub, an initiative that supports broader AI adoption across industries in alignment with the UAE’s national strategies for AI and digital transformation. The hub complements IOPn’s projects by fostering an environment that encourages innovation, skill development, and cross-sectoral applications of artificial intelligence.
By combining technological infrastructure with talent-building initiatives, the collaboration is expected to position the UAE as a gateway for sovereign AI and blockchain adoption. The model being developed is designed to be scalable and replicable in other regions, paving the way for cross-border innovation, attracting new investment flows, and preparing a skilled workforce for the digital economy.
