The UAE will build the world's largest AI campus outside the U.S. under a new Trump-era deal, gaining access to Nvidia chips and aligning tech policy with Washington.
 |
| Under a new agreement with the U.S., the UAE will build a massive AI campus powered by Nvidia chips, signaling deeper strategic tech alignment and reduced China reliance. Image: CH |
ABU DHABI, UAE — May 16, 2025:
The United Arab Emirates and the United States have signed a groundbreaking technology agreement that will see the UAE construct the largest artificial intelligence (AI) campus outside the United States, solidifying its position as a global AI powerhouse. The deal, announced during former U.S. President Donald Trump’s high-profile visit to Abu Dhabi, marks a turning point in U.S.-UAE tech cooperation after years of tensions over China’s access to sensitive technology.
Backed by Abu Dhabi's state-linked tech firm G42, the AI campus will span 10 square miles and offer 5 gigawatts of power—enough to run up to 2.5 million of Nvidia's advanced B200 AI chips. The U.S. Commerce Department confirmed that American companies will operate the data centers and deliver cloud services across the region, ensuring secure control over U.S.-origin technologies.
Sources say the deal will allow the UAE to import up to 500,000 Nvidia chips per year starting in 2025, overcoming earlier restrictions imposed under the Biden administration due to the UAE’s deep trade ties with China. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang was seen at the Abu Dhabi palace with Trump and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, underscoring the deal's strategic and commercial weight.
The agreement includes a commitment from the UAE to align its national security laws with U.S. standards, aiming to prevent technology diversion and misuse. It also mandates reciprocal investment in U.S.-based data centers of similar size and capability.
“This is the largest AI infrastructure initiative of its kind outside the United States,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick. Additional partners include Qualcomm, which will establish an AI engineering center, and Amazon Web Services, which will work on regional cybersecurity and cloud adoption.
The deal reflects a broader recalibration of UAE tech policy—maintaining its trading relationship with China while strategically aligning with U.S. rules and supply chains for critical technologies like semiconductors and cloud infrastructure. The move comes after G42, under U.S. scrutiny, began phasing out Chinese hardware and sold off several Chinese investments.
Trump's AI czar David Sacks recently stated that the export controls enforced under Biden were “never meant to target allies.” With AI investment now at the top of the bilateral agenda, the UAE's pivot represents a calculated effort to cement its leadership in the next generation of digital technology.
The historic AI agreement underscores the shifting global tech order, positioning the UAE as a regional AI leader and reaffirming Washington’s role in guiding the future of secure, high-performance computing.