Trump Claims $200B in Deals with UAE as AI Pact Unveiled

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump met with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.

Following the meeting, Trump claimed the two nations had finalized over $200 billion in deals, according to Reuters.

These include a $14.5 billion purchase by Etihad Airways of 28 Boeing 787 and 777x aircraft with GE Aerospace engines.

The White House also unveiled plans for a new "US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership."

As part of the initiative, a 5-gigawatt AI campus—allegedly the largest outside the US—was announced in the UAE.

Trump and Sheikh Mohamed attended the unveiling, signaling a joint ambition to position the Persian Gulf state at the forefront of AI innovation.

US Commerce officials noted the agreement could give the UAE expanded access to Nvidia's advanced chips, despite earlier controls designed to prevent sensitive technology from reaching China.

Sources said the preliminary deal includes annual shipments of 500,000 high-end AI chips to the UAE, beginning this year.

The deal has drawn attention from US national security circles, especially given prior Biden-era restrictions on such exports.

The AI agreement reportedly mandates the UAE to construct US-grade data centers and adopt stricter export control standards aligned with Washington.

“The agreement contains historic commitments… including strong protections to prevent the diversion of US-origin technology,” the White House said.

Trump also revived discussion of a long-term Emirati investment pledge.

Citing a conversation with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, Trump referred to a $1.4 trillion pledge to invest in the US over the next decade.

“Your wonderful brother came to Washington… and told us about your generous statement as to the 1.4 trillion,” Trump said.

The announced deals stretch across sectors.

Emirates Global Aluminum plans to invest $4 billion in a smelter project in Oklahoma.

ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources will jointly expand oil and gas production with ADNOC in a venture valued at $60 billion.

The Emirati leader emphasized mutual benefit.

“We are keen to continue and strengthen this friendship,” Sheikh Mohamed told Trump, calling his visit a sign of shared commitment.

Trump was received ceremonially at Abu Dhabi airport and later toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque.

He remarked that the mosque had been closed in honor of the United States: “That’s a great tribute.”

The UAE leg followed Trump’s visit to Qatar, where he praised a $10 billion Qatari investment in a US military base and announced $42 billion in Qatari defense purchases.

Across the Persian Gulf, Trump has highlighted expansive commitments.

These include a $600 billion Saudi pledge to invest in the US, a potential 210-aircraft purchase by Qatar Airways, and $142 billion in US arms sales to Saudi Arabia.

Alongside business, Trump hinted at diplomatic overtures.

In Qatar, he claimed progress toward a nuclear agreement with Iran, stating Tehran had “sort of” agreed to terms.

He also announced the lifting of US sanctions on Syria and met with self-called interim President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Trump encouraged Sharaa to consider normalizing relations with Israel.

With AI at the forefront of geopolitical rivalry, some analysts view these Persian Gulf-state partnerships as reshaping the strategic triangle between the US, China, and a potentially emergent Persian Gulf AI bloc.

Whether US regulators and Congress ultimately support these arrangements remains uncertain.