Many AI services have made inroads into paid subscription services, offering more at different price points. Those that have higher tier options, they prove to be cost prohibitive and offer too much for actual usage. In 2025, OpenAI had been piloting a new affordable tier dubbed “ChatGPT Go” in selected markets. Now, it’s time to bring it to the rest of the world and that includes the MENA region.
Go for ChatGPT
The tier was first launched in India around August 2025, followed by Indonesia and few more in South Asia. IMO, many of these countries are ’emerging’ markets who are very price conscious and costed around $4-$5 per month. Hence, they serve as a great place to test the waters and evaluate the results. That experiment has proven successful to see a wider rollout.
In a nutshell, ChatGPT Go is designed as a “low-cost subscription package” for those who want expanded access. This includes the latest GPT‑5.2 Instant model and more:
- 10x more messages, file uploads and image creation than the free tier.
- You can keep chatting with no limits on GPT‑5.2 Instant.
- Longer memory and context window, so ChatGPT can remember more helpful details about you over time.
- Pricing will be done in local currency where applicable, the equivalent to the $8/month like in the USA. For reference, that amounts to AED 29/QAR 29/SAR 30/KD 2.5/OMR 3/BHD 3. Some markets may follow the South Asia regional pricing due to economic conditions/currency exchange rates, and purchasing power.
Rounding it out, ChatGPT Go sits alongside the ChatGPT Plus (dubbed it as mid-tier) and ChatGPT Pro (i.e. the Ultra tier).
| Tier | Notes |
|---|---|
| ChatGPT Plus | Best for deeper reasoning work (e.g. writing and editing documents, learning/research, data analysis): expanded access to most advanced models (GPT 5.2 Thinking), flexibility to choose legacy models, using Codex (coding agent), and higher limits for messages/file uploads/memory/context than Go. |
| ChatGPT Pro | Focused towards AI power users and wanting the best. Builds on the Plus with following additions/changes: Access to most powerful model (GPT 5.2 Pro), maximum memory and context, and early preview of newest features. |
State of Stargate UAE
The year hasn’t even begun, but there is something to remind ourselves that started in 2025. Remember when Stargate UAE was announced in May 2025? G42 shared a progress update back in October 2025 on the construction of Stargate UAE. Khazna Data Centers, a G42 company, is overseeing and developing the entire project with a design-to-build approach.
From the initial announcement, it is expected to provide 200MW in the first phase of the 1GW mega-scale infrastructure. The construction work is already well underway and looks to be progressing steadily toward the planned 2026 delivery. This is also part of the 5GW UAE–U.S. AI Campus located in Abu Dhabi.
Design and engineering work for Stargate UAE is progressing to plan, with civil, structural, and architectural construction well advanced. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems are also being finalized, and key modular components have entered production. All procurement of all long-lead equipment has been completed. They have already received the first deliveries of mechanical systems to the site itself.
One more thing – ChatGPT Go will most likely see ads being served down the road. Consider it a trade-off for its pricing tier. Though it’s being tested in the USA, expect a smaller ad load compared to the free tier. The Plus and Pro tiers will serve as an ad-free option (including the Business and Education ones). . Once they take AdsGPT (I like to call it just to tie it with their branded labelling) to more markets, I predict that
Image Credit: OpenAI and PR Newswire
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