Last week underscored Abu Dhabi’s importance to the global AI ecosystem. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan — the emirate’s deputy ruler who is leading a massive push into AI — was in the United States, where he met with President Donald Trump. The UAE plans to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States over 10 years, the White House said days after the meeting. But a key question remains: the ease of access to American technology for the Gulf nation.
During his visit, Sheikh Tahnoun planned to try to make it easier to access chips and highlight the UAE’s plans for a technology infrastructure built on American soil, Bloomberg News has reported. This includes funding for the Abu Dhabi-based MGX, which he heads, for a $100 billion artificial intelligence infrastructure project that Trump unveiled during his first week in office.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan
“The UAE remains committed to strengthening its economic ties with the United States by accelerating investment in artificial intelligence, advanced technology, infrastructure, energy and healthcare – key foundations for sustainable growth and development,” the Abu Dhabi royal said in a post on X last week. Hours later, ADQ, Abu Dhabi’s $249 billion capital fund, which Sheikh Tahnoon also controls, unveiled a new $25 billion venture set up to invest in power generation for data centers and AI projects. “This is just the beginning,” Hamad Al Hammadi, deputy CEO of ADQ Group, told my colleague Anthony Di Paola. “We have no question of raising capital if the opportunity arises.”
Trump has been pushing for the development and investment of data centers and AI technology. His vice president said last week that the administration was “thrilled” by the UAE delegation in Washington, and called the country a viable AI partner. But while Abu Dhabi has committed billions of dollars to pour into the AI sector, it has been hampered by export restrictions on advanced chips, imposed in 2023 under former President Joe Biden. Trump said his discussions with the UAE delegation included ways to develop the Emirati-American partnership “to advance our economic and technological future.”
Abu Dhabi in the Global AI Ecosystem
There has been little clarity on Abu Dhabi’s easing of curbs. While in the US, Sheikh Tahnoon also spoke with four of the world’s richest people — tech moguls Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Ellison. Posts on his X profile showed him interacting with others, including Larry Fink, Satya Nadella and Jensen Huang.
And on the same day that ADQ announced its new partnership, MGX said Musk’s XAI would join forces — along with Microsoft and BlackRock — to build $30 billion in data centers and other infrastructure. “We also explored ways to collaborate in key sectors where artificial intelligence and advanced technologies can play a transformative role, strengthening the UAE’s position as a global leader in digital innovation,” Sheikh Tahnoon wrote on X after speaking with Musk.