ABU DHABI – Air Force One landed at Al Bateen Executive Airport tonight, bringing US President Donald Trump for a 48-hour whirlwind tour set to redefine US-UAE tech cooperation. On the agenda: hammering out details of a historic AI partnership between American tech titans and Emirati sovereign wealth funds.
The Coming Announcement
$6B Joint AI Fund: Mubadala & US investors investing in quantum computing startups
Cyber Shield Initiative: UAE to have first Middle East AI security command center
6G MoU: Co-development of next-generation telecom infrastructure
Why This Matters:
– First significant US tech export agreement since CHIPS Act restrictions
– Places Abu Dhabi as alternative to Chinese tech partnerships
– Comes days after UAE signed $35B nuclear deal with South Korea
The Trump Factor:
Sources reveal the President brought:
• Jared Kushner (key negotiator for the tech deals)
• Silicon Valley CEOs on “Air Force Two” (separate flight)
• Draft agreements for on-camera signing at Qasr Al Watan
Local Impact:
The partnership could mean:
✅ 3,000+ new tech jobs in Masdar City
✅ AI research visas for Emirati students at Stanford/MIT
✅ Testing licenses for autonomous vehicles in Abu Dhabi deserts
Bottom Line:
As Washington and Beijing exchange sanctions, this visit is testament that the UAE has perfected the art of being everyone’s tech best friend. The big winner? Abu Dhabi’s quest to be the AI capital of the Global South.
