AI AMBITIONS
The White House also said both countries inked an AI agreement that will see the UAE invest in US data centres and commit to “further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of US-origin technology”.
The UAE is seeking to become a leader in technology and especially artificial intelligence to help diversify its oil-reliant economy.
But these ambitions hinge on access to advanced US technologies, including AI chips under stringent export restrictions, which the UAE president’s brother and spy chief Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed reportedly lobbied for during a Washington visit in March.
Earlier this week, Trump rescinded further controls on AI chips, which were imposed by his predecessor to make it harder for China to access advanced technology.
Later on Friday, Trump will tour the Abrahamic Family House, a complex opened in 2023 that houses a mosque, church and the country’s first official synagogue with the aim of promoting interfaith co-existence in the Muslim nation.
“TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS”
In Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, Trump was greeted with lavish welcomes and hailed the three Arab leaders in return.
He said that he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman “like each other a lot” – in sharp contrast with the frosty Saudi-US relations that marked the start of his predecessor Joe Biden’s term.
He said the trip had resulted in securing “trillions of dollars” but the Gulf leaders’ largesse also stirred controversy, with Qatar offering Trump a luxury aircraft ahead of his visit for presidential and then personal use, in what Trump’s Democratic opponents charged was blatant corruption.
The deal-heavy tour also saw a major diplomatic shift. Trump became the first US president in 25 years to meet a Syrian leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, after announcing the removal of sanctions on the war-torn country following appeals from Saudi Arabia’s Prince Mohammed and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
During his Qatar visit, Trump said a deal was close on Iran’s nuclear programme that would avert military action, sending oil prices tumbling.
