Trump hosts UAE national security adviser for key tech, energy talks

US President Donald Trump hosted Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser and brother of the nation’s president, for dinner at the White House. The meeting focused on strengthening ties between the two nations, with an emphasis on increasing Emirati investment in the US, particularly in the fields of technology and energy.

According to sources familiar with the upcoming discussions, Sheikh Tahnoon addressed a range of topics, including the UAE's efforts to ease access to US technology, particularly cutting-edge chips, as part of its push to become a regional powerhouse for artificial intelligence (AI), Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity as the meeting was not publicly announced, also indicated that the UAE's goal is to expand its tech infrastructure, with significant investments in AI ventures.

The UAE has been investing heavily in data centers to train AI models, but its ambitions have been constrained by restrictions on the export of advanced chips imposed in 2023 under former President Joe Biden. These measures were further reinforced by Biden's proposal for new regulations capping the sale of advanced chips during his final days in office. The Trump administration is currently assessing whether to continue implementing these curbs.

Sheikh Tahnoon, who oversees a vast $1.5 trillion empire that includes wealth funds, the AI company G42, and the private investment firm Royal Group, seeks easier access to these chips. His empire also includes a $100 billion AI infrastructure venture backed by the Abu Dhabi-based investment firm MGX.

Earlier, Vice President JD Vance spoke at a tech summit, expressing the administration’s enthusiasm about the UAE’s growing role in AI. He remarked, “One of the things they consistently hammer upon — it’s something that unfortunately too few of our European allies tend to get — is that if you want to lead in artificial intelligence, you’ve got to be leading in energy production.”

The dinner at the White House is a crucial step in enhancing US-UAE relations, particularly in the areas of technology and energy.

By Vafa Guliyeva