UAE to Build World’s Largest AI Campus Outside US in Landmark Deal with Trump Administration
- tech360.tv
- May 16
- 2 min read
The United Arab Emirates will construct the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the United States under a new agreement with the Trump administration, bypassing previous restrictions tied to concerns over Chinese access to advanced technology.
The deal, finalised during former President Donald Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi on Thursday, marks a significant shift in U.S. policy and a major win for the UAE’s ambitions to become a global AI leader.
The 25.9 square kilometre AI campus in Abu Dhabi will feature 5 gigawatts of power capacity, enough to support 2.5 million of Nvidia’s top-tier B200 chips, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
The campus will be built by Abu Dhabi state-backed firm G42, but American companies will operate the data centres and provide U.S.-managed cloud services across the region.
The agreement includes the UAE’s commitment to invest in, build, or finance U.S. data centres that are at least as large and powerful as those in the UAE.
It also contains commitments by the UAE to align its national security regulations with those of the United States, including measures to prevent the diversion of U.S.-origin technology.
Sources said the UAE could be allowed to import 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips annually starting in 2025. Nvidia declined to comment.
Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang was seen speaking with Trump and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at a palace in Abu Dhabi during the announcement.
The agreement reflects the Trump administration’s confidence in managing chip security, partly by requiring U.S. companies to oversee the data centres.
The UAE has invested billions in AI and has sought to balance its strategic ties with the U.S. and its largest trading partner, China.
Under pressure from the U.S., G42 has removed Chinese hardware and divested from Chinese investments.
Despite this, Chinese firms such as Huawei and Alibaba Cloud remain active in the UAE, and AI chip smuggling to China has been traced through countries including Malaysia, Singapore and the UAE.
The U.S. has long restricted chip exports to prevent Chinese access, but Trump’s AI adviser David Sacks said in Riyadh that Biden-era controls were “never intended to capture friends, allies, strategic partners.”
The agreement also includes plans for Qualcomm to establish an AI-related engineering centre and for Amazon Web Services to collaborate with local partners on cybersecurity and cloud adoption.
AI was a key topic during Sheikh Mohamed’s visit to Washington in December, just before the end of Joe Biden’s presidency.
G42 and MGX, the UAE’s state-linked AI investment vehicles, have invested in U.S. firms including OpenAI and Elon Musk’s xAI. Microsoft also pledged USD 1.5 billion to G42 last year.
UAE to build 25.9 sq km AI campus in Abu Dhabi with 5 GW power capacity
Deal allows UAE to import 500,000 Nvidia AI chips annually from 2025
U.S. companies to operate data centres and manage cloud services
Source: REUTERS
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