OpenAI signed an 88,000-square-foot lease at Dublin's Tropical Fruit Warehouse on July 27, 2026, establishing a full-scale EU headquarters and committing to 250 new roles over the next two years, tripling its Irish headcount from around 100 to 350 employees. The move arrives five days before August 2, when the EU AI Act's enforcement powers over general-purpose AI providers become live and fines of up to €15 million become enforceable for the first time. Taoiseach Micheál Martin attended the announcement event. The Tropical Fruit Warehouse had sat partly vacant after TikTok pulled back from its lease in September 2024. OpenAI, which had searched for approximately 45,000 square feet since late 2025, leased nearly double that amount. The 250 incoming positions will span go-to-market sales, engineering, user operations, human resources, finance, privacy, legal, and corporate functions, consistent with an approximately €105 million total investment figure and a target of up to 400 jobs over three years. Emma Redmond, OpenAI's Associate General Counsel and Head of OpenAI Ireland, and Sanj Bhayro are early hires defining the strategy.