Media: US tech, defence deals reshape Middle East alliances as Trump ends Gulf tour

US President Donald Trump concluded the first major overseas tour of his second term with a sweeping four-day trip through Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, yielding unprecedented investment commitments, redefining global AI alliances, and repositioning the Gulf as a cornerstone of American technological and geopolitical strategy.

Describing the visit as transactional diplomacy at its apex, Trump had declared ahead of the trip that his hosts needed to “pay $1 trillion to American companies” over four years in return for his presence, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“Last time I went to Saudi Arabia, they put up $450 billion,” Trump said, referencing his 2017 visit. “This time they have gotten richer.”

The final outcome exceeded his target. The UAE alone pledged $1.4 trillion over the next decade. Saudi Arabia committed $600 billion across four years, and Qatar added $200 billion. These investments will be directed toward artificial intelligence infrastructure, semiconductors, defense, and energy development—ushering in a new phase of Gulf-US interdependence.

The trip, which brought together leading figures including Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and BlackRock’s Larry Fink, was not mere ceremonial theater. It marked a strategic reorientation of US technology policy in the region, catalyzing what one official described as “a controlled technology transfer designed to create allied AI superpowers.”

The most consequential outcome came with a deal between Nvidia and Saudi-backed AI startup Humain, under which 18,000 of Nvidia’s state-of-the-art Blackwell (GB300) AI chips will be delivered immediately. US chipmaker AMD also secured a $10 billion collaboration with the same startup. Meanwhile, major American tech firms including Qualcomm, Cisco, IBM, Alphabet, Oracle, and Salesforce jointly announced $80 billion in regional partnerships.

The UAE leg of Trump’s tour produced the trip’s most lucrative agreement: a deal enabling the Emirates to import up to 500,000 Nvidia Blackwell chips annually from 2025 to 2027, valued at an estimated $15 billion. One-fifth of these chips will be allocated directly to Abu Dhabi-based G42, the nation’s leading AI firm. The remaining units will support US tech firms expanding data center operations across the Emirates.

In a dramatic policy reversal, Trump formally rescinded the AI diffusion rule enacted by his predecessor, which had restricted sales of advanced US chips to Gulf nations over national security concerns. “We’re betting that technology brings loyalty,” a senior White House official said. “And loyalty beats influence.”

This move is widely viewed as a direct counter to China's expanding digital footprint in the Middle East, where companies such as Huawei and Alibaba have found favor with governments eager for localized, sovereignty-conscious solutions. In contrast, American firms have spent the last decade building broader ecosystems through infrastructure and cloud services.

In a show of reciprocity, the Gulf nations will funnel billions back into US infrastructure. Saudi AI firm DataVolt is committing $20 billion toward American AI data centers and clean energy projects. The UAE’s $1.4 trillion package includes funding for semiconductor manufacturing and energy development across several U.S. states.

Meanwhile, Burkhan World Investments, a US firm, finalized a $9 billion rare earth mining deal with Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mines Mining to extract lithium, cobalt, and rare earths—materials critical to both the tech and defence industries. The deal is seen as a cornerstone in Washington’s bid to diversify strategic supply chains away from China.

Beyond tech, Trump sealed a $142 billion defense pact with Saudi Arabia, the largest in US history. Qatar, home to the US' largest Middle East military base, agreed to purchase up to 210 Boeing aircraft in a $96 billion deal. A further $10 billion will be invested in upgrading Al Udeid Air Base and acquiring advanced MQ-9 Reaper drones.

Trump also used the trip to make waves on the diplomatic front. In a stunning announcement, he revealed the lifting of US sanctions on Syria, stating, “to give them a chance at greatness.” The move followed a rare in-person meeting with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Equally surprising were Trump’s overtures to Iran regarding potential nuclear energy cooperation. However, his suggestion to rename the Persian Gulf to the “Arabian Gulf” drew immediate condemnation from Tehran, threatening to inflame an already volatile regional rivalry.

As Air Force One departed Abu Dhabi, US officials portrayed the whirlwind tour as a geopolitical inflection point.

By Vafa Guliyeva