Dubai - Washington: Europe and the Arabs
US President Donald Trump has approved the construction of the largest artificial intelligence complex outside the United States in cooperation with the UAE, a move aimed at containing Chinese influence and strengthening technological partnerships in the region. The project represents a strategic shift in the country's advanced technology export policy. According to what was published by the European News Network website in Brussels: "US President Donald Trump approved a massive agreement with the United Arab Emirates to build the largest artificial intelligence complex outside the United States, a move that represents a remarkable diplomatic and technological shift, breaking previous restrictions that prevented the UAE from accessing advanced American artificial intelligence chips, for fear that they would become a back channel for China.
The final agreement was signed during Trump's visit to the Middle East and is an indication of restored American confidence in the ability of its key allies, such as the UAE, to safely handle sensitive technologies, provided there is strict oversight and direct supervision from the United States.
Why is the agreement significant?
The agreement represents a sharp departure from the Biden administration's policy, which had emphasized preventing the export of advanced chips to countries with close ties to China. In contrast, the current Trump administration is adopting a more flexible approach, aiming to contain Chinese influence while expanding technological cooperation with allies in the Gulf. By granting the UAE direct access to advanced American artificial intelligence technologies, Washington seeks to maintain its superiority and expand its standards in regional infrastructure without imposing a binary choice on The countries between Washington and Beijing.
Project Details
The project is located in Abu Dhabi and covers an area of ​​10 square miles. It is powered by 5 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power approximately 2.5 million Nvidia B200 chips, according to estimates by analyst Lennart Heim of the Rand Corporation. The US Department of Commerce has described the project as "the largest AI infrastructure to date."
The construction will be undertaken by the state-linked Emirati company G42, while American companies will operate the site and provide US-supervised cloud services in the region. The White House announced that the UAE has pledged to build or finance similar data centers in the United States and will align its security policies with US standards.
Will China be excluded?
Despite recent reforms, concerns remain about Chinese influence within the UAE. G42 has divested from Chinese equipment and Beijing-linked investments under US pressure, but companies like Huawei and Alibaba Cloud remain present in the UAE market. US officials warn of the risk of technology leakage via Infrastructure using Chinese components or software.
Trump administration officials emphasized that the agreement includes "strict safeguards" to prevent any diversion of the technology. David Sachs, Trump's AI commissioner, stated during his visit to Riyadh this week that the controls imposed by the Biden administration "were not designed to apply to allies and strategic partners."
Reactions
Rand analyst Lennart Heim wrote on the platform X: "This project is larger than all other AI infrastructure announcements to date. Enough power to power 2.5 million NVIDIA B200 chips.
The White House said in a statement: "The UAE is committed to aligning its national security regulations with the United States, including providing the necessary protections to prevent the diversion of American technology from its legitimate use."
The AI ​​complex is expected to become operational later this year, with the UAE preparing to import up to 500,000 NVIDIA chips annually under the agreement. The project represents a significant expansion of the American technology presence in the Middle East and signals the beginning of a new chapter in the global AI race.