The United Arab Emirates (UAE) hopes to gain access to advanced chips currently restricted by US export rules following its $1.4 trillion investment pledge to deepen relations with Washington.

The UAE is working to convince the US to become a preferred partner in efforts to become the world’s top AI nation.

UAE accelerates US investments to secure access to advanced AI chips

The CEO of the UAE’s top artificial intelligence company, G42, Peng Xiao, confirmed that the nation was making good and noticeable strides toward obtaining cutting-edge semiconductors from the US.

The Emirates has been increasing its investments in the US energy and technology sectors to obtain chips essential to its ambitions of becoming a dominant force in artificial intelligence. 

Currently, the UAE is in the second tier of the AI diffusion rule, limiting the number of processors shipped to most countries. 

To address this, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Donald Trump met last month to discuss pursuing global leadership in artificial intelligence. Afterward, the White House declared that the United Arab Emirates would make $1.4 trillion in investments in the US over the next ten years.

Before that meeting, individuals with knowledge of Sheikh Tahnoon’s plans said he would seek out easier ways to obtain chips and brought up the UAE’s plans for technological infrastructure constructed in the United States. This was made clear when MGX invested $100 billion in an AI infrastructure venture that the Abu Dhabi royal chaired.

In an interview, Xiao highlighted the company’s vision to broaden its presence in the United States. While he suggested that his firm could be included in the investment pledge to come, he declined to give specifics.

He also noted that no such contribution would come without mutual benefit to the partners involved.

Outside the US scope, the United Arab Emirates is ramping up its attempts to become the world leader in artificial intelligence. The sources said executives within G42’s cloud computing and data center operating divisions are working on new initiatives in the Gulf region, Europe, Africa, and the US.

The G42 statement follows an announcement last year of divesting all its China investments before formalizing a partnership with Microsoft Corp — a decision to exclude Huawei equipment. This strategic shift aligns with the US’s goals to lead the global race in AI.

In a separate interview, Omar Al Olama, the UAE’s minister for AI and digital economy, said that the fact that there are joint investments between the UAE and US companies — whether here or in the US — gave them a preferential position as a partner.

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