UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's Historic Visit to the US Amid Middle East Crisis

Sheikh Mohamed to meet Biden: A look at how UAE-US relations have grown over the last 50 years

Paid parking in Dubai: Residents face up to Dh4,000 extra yearly costs when new rates kick in The official visit of President Sheikh Mohamed to the United States represents a significant milestone in the longstanding history of bilateral relations between the two nations, which began over half a century ago. The UAE remains a key partner of the United States both in the region and on the global stage. The visit articulates the UAE's approach to strengthening bridges of partnership, promoting dialogue, and building effective and balanced relations based on trust, credibility and mutual respect with countries around the world to enhance international stability and peace, and achieve development and prosperity for all peoples. Bilateral collaboration spans multiple areas, including development, politics, security, economy, trade, and defence. The two countries also share numerous economic and security partnerships, bolstered by the announcement of the Abraham Accords in 2019. The bilateral diplomatic relations between the UAE and the US were established shortly after the founding of the UAE in 1971. The UAE's embassy in Washington was established in 1974, and the US embassy in Abu Dhabi opened in the same year. Economic relations in numbers The strong economic ties between the two countries are evident in the significant increase in non-oil foreign trade (excluding services), which reached $39.5 billion in 2023 compared to $23.8 billion in 2022. The UAE's imports from the United States increased to $25.9 billion in 2023, compared to $21.3 billion in 2022. The UAE's exports to the US increased from $3.2 billion in 2022 to $3.9 billion in 2023. Additionally, the UAE's re-exports to the US rose in 2023 to $9.6 billion from $8.2 billion in 2022. The UAE's investments in the US amounted to $3.7 billion between 2018 and 2023, while US investments in the UAE reached $9.5 billion during the same period. The main sectors of UAE investment in the US include renewable energy, telecommunications, energy, real estate, software services, and information technology. Technology and climate change Several collaborative agreements in the domains of technology and artificial intelligence have been signed between the two nations this year. In June, World Wide Technology (WWT), a leading technology integration company based in the US, signed a strategic agreement with NXT Global to establish the UAE's first AI Integration Centre in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, which will be one of the most sustainable urban developments in the world. In April, Microsoft announced a strategic investment of $1.5 billion in G42, further enhancing the growing collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence and technology.

UAE, US strengthening strategic partnership for development, prosperity, global peace

ABU DHABI - The official visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the United States of America represents a significant milestone in the longstanding history of bilateral relations between the two nations, which began over half a century ago. The visit underscores the strategic partnership between the two friendly countries, characterised by deep, stable ties from the outset. The UAE remains a key partner of the United States both in the region and on the global stage. The visit articulates the UAE's approach to strengthening bridges of partnership, promoting dialogue, and building effective and balanced relations based on trust, credibility and mutual respect with countries around the world to enhance international stability and peace, and achieve development and prosperity for all peoples. The UAE-US relationship is fundamentally strategic, with both nations committed to ongoing cooperation aimed at enhancing regional security, fostering economic prosperity, and addressing global challenges. Bilateral collaboration spans multiple areas, including development, politics, security, economy, trade, and defence. The two countries also share numerous economic and security partnerships, bolstered by the announcement of the Abraham Accords in 2019. The bilateral diplomatic relations between the UAE and the US were established shortly after the founding of the UAE in 1971. The UAE's embassy in Washington was established in 1974, and the US embassy in Abu Dhabi opened in the same year. The strong economic ties between the two countries are evident in the significant increase in non-oil foreign trade (excluding services), which reached $39.5 billion in 2023 compared to $23.8 billion in 2022. The UAE's imports from the United States increased to $25.9 billion in 2023, compared to $21.3 billion in 2022. The UAE's exports to the US increased from $3.2 billion in 2022 to $3.9 billion in 2023. Additionally, the UAE's re-exports to the US rose in 2023 to $9.6 billion from $8.2 billion in 2022. The UAE's investments in the US amounted to $3.7 billion between 2018 and 2023, while US investments in the UAE reached $9.5 billion during the same period. The main sectors of UAE investment in the US include renewable energy, telecommunications, energy, real estate, software services, and information technology. Several collaborative agreements in the domains of technology and artificial intelligence have been signed between the two nations in the current year. In June, World Wide Technology (WWT), a leading technology integration company based in the US, signed a strategic agreement with NXT Global to establish the UAE's first AI Integration Centre in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi, which will be one of the most sustainable urban developments in the world. In April, Microsoft announced a strategic investment of $1.5 billion in G42, further enhancing the growing collaboration in the fields of artificial intelligence and technology. The launch of the UAE's Hope Probe in 2021 significantly consolidating scientific cooperation in space exploration between the UAE and the US. This collaboration was clearly evident in the UAE's new mission to the asteroid belt, conducted in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder. In this context, the UAE plays a key role in NASA's Lunar Gateway project, where it will develop a dedicated airlock module for astronauts and scientists. Additionally, the UAE plans to send its first astronaut to lunar orbit, as announced in an initiative in June. The module, essential for the safety of astronauts and mission operations, is scheduled to be launched by 2030. Climate action is one of the most important aspects of fruitful cooperation between the two countries, highlighted by the Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE). This initiative aims to mobilise $100 billion to produce 100 gigawatts of clean energy by 2035. The UAE is also co-leading the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) with the US, which includes over 50 countries and 500 partners to promote sustainable agriculture. Additionally, Masdar has invested in 11 clean energy projects in the US, including the Big Beau project near Los Angeles.

UAE Leader Seeks To Deepen 'Strategic' Ties In US Visit During Mideast Crisis

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due Monday in Washington for a first official visit at a time of soaring tensions in the Middle East, seeking to highlight economic and technological cooperation. Presidential advisor Anwar Gargash said the Emiratis, who want to reorient their economy away from oil and towards new technologies such as AI, were thinking "economy first, prosperity first" in their "strategic relationship" with the United States. With his upcoming trip, Sheikh Mohamed will become the first sitting president of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy to make an official visit to Washington. He is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running to succeed Biden, the White House said. US officials said the top agenda items were the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the conflict in Sudan, where the UAE has been accused of backing one of the warring parties -- a charge it denies. Speaking to journalists this week, Gargash said that without ignoring "things happening in Gaza or things happening in other areas", the president's visit will focus on deepening business and technological ties. The "UAE is trying to move more along an economic and technological view, with the full realisation that we are in the fall (season) of the hydrocarbon age", the adviser said. He said the UAE's ties with the United States were "our most important strategic relationship", even as "sometimes people like to talk about some tensions in the relationship". The UAE, expected to be a key contributor to the Gaza Strip's post-war reconstruction, also has close ties with Russia and refused to condemn the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sheikh Mohamed's trip follows a sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah that raised fears of a widening Middle East war. The UAE, a federation of sheikhdoms, is one of a handful of Arab states to recognise Israel and enjoys growing clout in the Middle East owing to its oil wealth, business environment and reputation for stability. It also neighbours oil giant Saudi Arabia, which the US has been pressing to forge relations with Israel in the hope of calming a region pushed to the edge by the Israel-Hamas war. Sheikh Mohamed, who became president in May 2022 after several years of de facto rule, has strong relations with China and India and has visited both countries this year. In April, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion investment in UAE artificial intelligence firm G42, as Abu Dhabi simultaneously shifted away from Chinese partnerships in AI. "Why are we betting on technology? If we believe that hydrocarbon is on the way out, slowly but surely, then we have to replace the revenue stream through something else," Gargash said. He added: "A lot of things are in the pipeline. We're laying a map... and we need to partner with you (US) in order for us to achieve these things."

UAE President on historic visit to US: What's on the agenda; top official reveals

Paid parking in Dubai: Residents face up to Dh4,000 extra yearly costs when new rates kick in The UAE plays a significant role in the Middle East and is a valued partner for the United States with the two countries looking to benefit from robust bilateral cooperation across various issues. These areas entail talks around regional and international peace including Gaza and Sudan, Ukraine and Russia, relationship with China, artificial intelligence (AI), technology transfer, space exploration, and achieving global climate goals among other matters. Danny Sebright, President of the US-UAE Business Council opened up about the priorities of the agenda during an exclusive interview to Khaleej Times ahead of President Sheikh Mohamed's historic visit to Washington on Monday. He said: "The UAE has always been a close partner to the United States, first in the political and diplomatic areas, then in military intelligence and security and in the last 15 to 20 years, in business and trade. This business and trade and commerce relationship has just 'exploded'. This is a huge focus between the two countries right now." Sebright, who has been involved in Middle East peace efforts since the 1980s and was part of former US President Bill Clinton's team during those discussions, added: "At the moment, economic, trade, digital, and AI, all of these things are really essential. The US looks to the UAE for its leadership on climate change. It looks to the UAE for its leadership on north, south, east, and west. All of these things come back to good business, good trade and investments. If we build those bridges, some of the other things that we want to achieve on geopolitics will follow." Notably, history will be created on Monday with the first visit by a sitting UAE president to the White House. This will also be the inaugural meeting of the UAE and US presidents on American soil since the establishment of the Emirates. "Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan went (to the US), but he went to Cleveland, Ohio for medical care. Former President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan never went. Sheikh Mohamed came as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, but he never came as the president," added Sebright. In 2019, Sheikh Mohamed engaged in discussions with then US President George W. Bush at Camp David, Maryland. Additionally, Sheikh Mohamed met with Biden at a summit in Jeddah two months after assuming the presidency of the UAE in May 2022. They also held talks during the G20 summit in New Delhi in 2023. "But this is the first time a president of the UAE will visit the White House and have a meeting with the US President Joe Biden there. He's also going to meet with the Vice President, Kamala Harris (running for presidency)." Shedding light on the priorities of the visit, Sebright, who has already flown to the US for this significant occasion, said: "So, a very important aspect is to give an official statement to this 'wonderful tech relationship' that has developed over the last two years...AI, digital and all of these things. This will be a big focus of the visit." Referring to the Microsoft's enhanced partnership and investment in G42, based in Abu Dhabi that aims to provide advanced AI solutions to public sector clients around the globe, Sebright added: "The deals that Microsoft and others have signed and working forward between the US and the UAE and the tech and the AI relationship (will be on the list). Then pushing forward on the AI, specifically, some of the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) issues, transfer and sale of technology, making it clear that these are the areas that the US and the UAE want to focus on in the future and ensuring that everybody understands that the US and the UAE governments have discussed and agreed to this." Sebright also emphasised that a significant area of interest would be 'space exploration', particularly the collaboration between NASA and the UAE Space Agency. "Going forward, we will have more UAE astronauts getting trained at the Johnson Space Centre. The NASA-UAE Space Agency, NASA-Mohammed bin Rashid Space Center (MBRSC) collaborations, are only going to grow. They're going to grow not only with the astronauts themselves, but they're going to grow with real research and development, with the teams working together to create new projects."

UAE leader seeks to deepen 'strategic' ties in US visit during Mideast crisis

Dubai (AFP) - UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan is due Monday in Washington for a first official visit at a time of soaring tensions in the Middle East, seeking to highlight economic and technological cooperation. Presidential advisor Anwar Gargash said the Emiratis, who want to reorient their economy away from oil and towards new technologies such as AI, were thinking "economy first, prosperity first" in their "strategic relationship" with the United States. With his upcoming trip, Sheikh Mohamed will become the first sitting president of the oil-rich Gulf monarchy to make an official visit to Washington. He is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who is running to succeed Biden, the White House said. US officials said the top agenda items were the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the conflict in Sudan, where the UAE has been accused of backing one of the warring parties -- a charge it denies. Speaking to journalists this week, Gargash said that without ignoring "things happening in Gaza or things happening in other areas", the president's visit will focus on deepening business and technological ties. The "UAE is trying to move more along an economic and technological view, with the full realisation that we are in the fall (season) of the hydrocarbon age", the adviser said. He said the UAE's ties with the United States were "our most important strategic relationship", even as "sometimes people like to talk about some tensions in the relationship". The UAE, expected to be a key contributor to the Gaza Strip's post-war reconstruction, also has close ties with Russia and refused to condemn the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Sheikh Mohamed's trip follows a sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah that raised fears of a widening Middle East war. The UAE, a federation of sheikhdoms, is one of a handful of Arab states to recognise Israel and enjoys growing clout in the Middle East owing to its oil wealth, business environment and reputation for stability. It also neighbours oil giant Saudi Arabia, which the US has been pressing to forge relations with Israel in the hope of calming a region pushed to the edge by the Israel-Hamas war. Sheikh Mohamed, who became president in May 2022 after several years of de facto rule, has strong relations with China and India and has visited both countries this year. In April, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion investment in UAE artificial intelligence firm G42, as Abu Dhabi simultaneously shifted away from Chinese partnerships in AI. "Why are we betting on technology? If we believe that hydrocarbon is on the way out, slowly but surely, then we have to replace the revenue stream through something else," Gargash said. He added: "A lot of things are in the pipeline. We're laying a map... and we need to partner with you (US) in order for us to achieve these things."

UAE Seeks Closer AI, Tech Ties in Biden Talks as China Interest Stirs US Concern

DUBAI (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will host the United Arab Emirates president on Monday for a visit set to include White House talks on the Gulf state's plans for artificial intelligence, an ambitious effort also drawing interest from U.S. geopolitical rival China. The UAE, a wealthy oil producer and longtime security partner of the U.S., is hoping for greater access to American technology to build its own advanced tech industry. G42, the state-backed technology company, has already secured a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, partnered with chipmaker Nvidia and is using supercomputers built by Cerebras Systems. But the U.S. has been concerned about the UAE's warm relationship with China and placed restrictions on exports of some American technology to the UAE and other Middle Eastern states over concerns that it could be shared with Beijing. Under pressure from the Biden administration, G42 this year began ripping out Chinese hardware it was using and sold off Chinese investment so it could work more closely with American firms. That preceded the $1.5 billion Microsoft investment. "We cannot let this sort of wave of technological breakthroughs pass by us and not be somehow in partnership with it," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE's president told journalists on Thursday ahead of the White House visit. The White House has said Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss areas of deepening cooperation like advanced technology, artificial intelligence, investments and space exploration. It will be the first time a UAE president visits the White House, although Sheikh Mohamed, as crown prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the White House in 2015 to meet President Barack Obama and in 2017 to meet President Donald Trump. Sheikh Mohamed met President Biden in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2022. The UAE president is also due to meet Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders from the American business community. AI AMBITIONS The UAE is pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence, which has included the development of Arabic and Hindi language chatbot applications similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Emirati officials believe the Gulf state's bet on artificial intelligence will strengthen its international clout by making it a key economic actor long after demand for oil has dried up. "We are in a position to be a pivotal country in this new information and technology age," said Faisal Al Bannai, Sheikh Mohamed's adviser on strategic research and advanced technology. "We think we have the ingredients to build AI that can compete globally," he told Reuters in a July interview. Emirati officials also argue the UAE must have control over its own AI and develop its own, globally-competitive technology so that it could guarantee no outside actor could shut down the technology, harm its performance or alter its algorithms. "The last thing we want to be in, is in the future as a nation, someone telling us well, you will get the latest version or you will not get the latest version," Al Bannai said. Although U.S. officials are wary of the UAE's relationship with China, some believe artificial intelligence and fostering closer U.S.-UAE technology ties is one area where Washington could drive a wedge between Abu Dhabi and Beijing. The UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama has acknowledged that there is a need for greater alignment and engagement between the UAE and the U.S. CHINA SEEKS AI PARTNERSHIP WITH UAE "There is the willingness for us to engage," he said in a June interview, adding that Abu Dhabi was fully committed to being a long term strategic technology partner with Washington. "We haven't been shying away from our ambitions but we're going to do it in the right way. We're going to do it through partnership. We're going to do it through transparency." China also sees the UAE as a long-term technology partner. During a visit to Beijing in May by Sheikh Mohamed, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the two countries to strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation. Chinese AI companies SenseTime, sanctioned by the U.S. which has said it has links to China's military industrial complex, and Terminus Group, both developers of facial recognition technology, are also working in the UAE. Terminus Group's Chief Scientist Ling Shao, who previously worked for G42, said there were many opportunities in the UAE. But while the U.S. government may have reservations about the UAE's pursuit of AI and ties with China, what is crucial for American industry is that the UAE has both the financial resources to fund expensive artificial intelligence research and a government committed to advancing its development. "They're among the leaders today and they're on a path to be at the very top," Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman said in July. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell with additional reporting by Federico Maccioni; Writing by Alexander Cornwell and Andrew Mills, Editing by William Maclean)

UAE seeks closer AI, tech ties in Biden talks as China interest stirs US concern

DUBAI (Reuters) - President Joe Biden will host the United Arab Emirates president on Monday for a visit set to include White House talks on the Gulf state's plans for artificial intelligence, an ambitious effort also drawing interest from U.S. geopolitical rival China. The UAE, a wealthy oil producer and longtime security partner of the U.S., is hoping for greater access to American technology to build its own advanced tech industry. G42, the state-backed technology company, has already secured a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, partnered with chipmaker Nvidia and is using supercomputers built by Cerebras Systems. But the U.S. has been concerned about the UAE's warm relationship with China and placed restrictions on exports of some American technology to the UAE and other Middle Eastern states over concerns that it could be shared with Beijing. Under pressure from the Biden administration, G42 this year began ripping out Chinese hardware it was using and sold off Chinese investment so it could work more closely with American firms. That preceded the $1.5 billion Microsoft investment. "We cannot let this sort of wave of technological breakthroughs pass by us and not be somehow in partnership with it," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE's president told journalists on Thursday ahead of the White House visit. The White House has said Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss areas of deepening cooperation like advanced technology, artificial intelligence, investments and space exploration. It will be the first time a UAE president visits the White House, although Sheikh Mohamed, as crown prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the White House in 2015 to meet President Barack Obama and in 2017 to meet President Donald Trump. Sheikh Mohamed met President Biden in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2022. The UAE president is also due to meet Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders from the American business community. AI AMBITIONS The UAE is pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence, which has included the development of Arabic and Hindi language chatbot applications similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Emirati officials believe the Gulf state's bet on artificial intelligence will strengthen its international clout by making it a key economic actor long after demand for oil has dried up. "We are in a position to be a pivotal country in this new information and technology age," said Faisal Al Bannai, Sheikh Mohamed's adviser on strategic research and advanced technology. "We think we have the ingredients to build AI that can compete globally," he told Reuters in a July interview. Emirati officials also argue the UAE must have control over its own AI and develop its own, globally-competitive technology so that it could guarantee no outside actor could shut down the technology, harm its performance or alter its algorithms. "The last thing we want to be in, is in the future as a nation, someone telling us well, you will get the latest version or you will not get the latest version," Al Bannai said. Although U.S. officials are wary of the UAE's relationship with China, some believe artificial intelligence and fostering closer U.S.-UAE technology ties is one area where Washington could drive a wedge between Abu Dhabi and Beijing. The UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama has acknowledged that there is a need for greater alignment and engagement between the UAE and the U.S. CHINA SEEKS AI PARTNERSHIP WITH UAE "There is the willingness for us to engage," he said in a June interview, adding that Abu Dhabi was fully committed to being a long term strategic technology partner with Washington. "We haven't been shying away from our ambitions but we're going to do it in the right way. We're going to do it through partnership. We're going to do it through transparency." China also sees the UAE as a long-term technology partner. During a visit to Beijing in May by Sheikh Mohamed, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the two countries to strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation. Chinese AI companies SenseTime, sanctioned by the U.S. which has said it has links to China's military industrial complex, and Terminus Group, both developers of facial recognition technology, are also working in the UAE. Terminus Group's Chief Scientist Ling Shao, who previously worked for G42, said there were many opportunities in the UAE. But while the U.S. government may have reservations about the UAE's pursuit of AI and ties with China, what is crucial for American industry is that the UAE has both the financial resources to fund expensive artificial intelligence research and a government committed to advancing its development. "They're among the leaders today and they're on a path to be at the very top," Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman said in July. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell with additional reporting by Federico Maccioni; Writing by Alexander Cornwell and Andrew Mills, Editing by William Maclean)

UAE president to meet Joe Biden in push for more AI technology

The United Arab Emirates' leader will meet US President Joe Biden in Washington on Monday to discuss artificial intelligence co-operation as the Gulf nation tries to secure easier access to advanced US-made technology. The meeting comes during Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan's first official trip to the US in seven years and underscores his determination to win White House support in his efforts to transform the UAE into an AI leader. The UAE is one of the US's most important allies in the Middle East, but relations have been strained at times in recent years. Talks for a formal security pact with Washington have stalled, and Abu Dhabi was infuriated by what it saw as a lukewarm US response to attacks on the UAE's capital by Houthi rebels from Yemen in 2022. Yet AI has brought fresh energy to the relationship. Oil-rich Abu Dhabi has made AI central to its plan to wean itself off fossil fuel exports, and has taken a strategic decision to partner with American companies producing cutting-edge technology. "AI and new changes in cloud computing, etc, are going to change the way the world looks," Anwar Gargash, Sheikh Mohamed's diplomatic adviser, told journalists in Dubai last week. "We cannot let this sort of wave of technological breakthroughs pass by us." "If we believe that hydrocarbon is on the way out, slowly but surely, then we have to replace the revenue stream through something else," he added. However, the US last year added the Gulf states to a list of countries restricted from freely importing cutting-edge US-made AI chips over concerns about technology leaks to China. This means companies have to apply for licences to export the chips, and the process has held up some UAE companies' AI plans. Two people briefed on the UAE's plans said they were expecting the two presidents to agree on a document laying out a broad framework for US-UAE co-operation on AI. One of the people said the UAE wanted to sketch out a "road map" ahead of the upcoming US election "so that progress is locked in . . . whatever president assumes office in January". The person added that officials were aiming to get the UAE's export designation changed so it would be easier to get hold of chips. Brad Smith, president of Microsoft, which invested $1.5bn in the UAE's most important AI group G42 in April, told the FT last week that clarity over the export controls was "emerging" although it had "taken several months to work through". Smith added that export applications by Microsoft and other technology companies were not fully complete but were "getting very close". In a sign of the UAE's drive to deepen relationships with US companies, G42 announced last week that it was partnering with Nvidia, the US company that makes chips critical for AI, on a weather forecasting initiative. US companies looking to finance expensive AI projects have also welcomed Abu Dhabi's petrodollars. MGX, a new Abu Dhabi investment vehicle dedicated to AI, last week announced that it was joining with asset manager BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners and Microsoft to launch a $30bn fund to invest in data centres and the energy to power them. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan, the UAE national security adviser who chairs G42, visited Washington in June and has spearheaded the UAE's efforts to secure US backing for its AI ambitions. The FT has previously reported that OpenAI founder Sam Altman and Sheikh Tahnoon were in discussions to finance an ambitious chipmaking project. Gargash said Sheikh Tahnoon had "a good understanding of tech", suggesting this could help the UAE's negotiations with US officials and executives. "When he sits with somebody like Altman or whatever, he's really talking his language," said Gargash.

UAE seeks closer AI, tech ties in Biden talks as China interest stirs US concern

G42, the state-backed technology company, has already secured a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, partnered with chipmaker Nvidia and is using supercomputers built by Cerebras Systems. But the U.S. has been concerned about the UAE's warm relationship with China and placed restrictions on exports of some American technology to the UAE and other Middle Eastern states over concerns that it could be shared with Beijing. Under pressure from the Biden administration, G42 this year began ripping out Chinese hardware it was using and sold off Chinese investment so it could work more closely with American firms. That preceded the $1.5 billion Microsoft investment. "We cannot let this sort of wave of technological breakthroughs pass by us and not be somehow in partnership with it," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE's president told journalists on Thursday ahead of the White House visit. The White House has said Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss areas of deepening cooperation like advanced technology, artificial intelligence, investments and space exploration. It will be the first time a UAE president visits the White House, although Sheikh Mohamed, as crown prince of Abu Dhabi, visited the White House in 2015 to meet President Barack Obama and in 2017 to meet President Donald Trump. Sheikh Mohamed met President Biden in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in 2022. The UAE president is also due to meet Vice President Kamala Harris and leaders from the American business community. The UAE is pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence, which has included the development of Arabic and Hindi language chatbot applications similar to OpenAI's ChatGPT. Emirati officials believe the Gulf state's bet on artificial intelligence will strengthen its international clout by making it a key economic actor long after demand for oil has dried up. "We are in a position to be a pivotal country in this new information and technology age," said Faisal Al Bannai, Sheikh Mohamed's adviser on strategic research and advanced technology. "We think we have the ingredients to build AI that can compete globally," he told Reuters in a July interview. Emirati officials also argue the UAE must have control over its own AI and develop its own, globally-competitive technology so that it could guarantee no outside actor could shut down the technology, harm its performance or alter its algorithms. "The last thing we want to be in, is in the future as a nation, someone telling us well, you will get the latest version or you will not get the latest version," Al Bannai said. Although U.S. officials are wary of the UAE's relationship with China, some believe artificial intelligence and fostering closer U.S.-UAE technology ties is one area where Washington could drive a wedge between Abu Dhabi and Beijing. The UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama has acknowledged that there is a need for greater alignment and engagement between the UAE and the U.S. "There is the willingness for us to engage," he said in a June interview, adding that Abu Dhabi was fully committed to being a long term strategic technology partner with Washington. "We haven't been shying away from our ambitions but we're going to do it in the right way. We're going to do it through partnership. We're going to do it through transparency." China also sees the UAE as a long-term technology partner. During a visit to Beijing in May by Sheikh Mohamed, Chinese President Xi Jinping called on the two countries to strengthen artificial intelligence cooperation. Chinese AI companies SenseTime, sanctioned by the U.S. which has said it has links to China's military industrial complex, and Terminus Group, both developers of facial recognition technology, are also working in the UAE. Terminus Group's Chief Scientist Ling Shao, who previously worked for G42, said there were many opportunities in the UAE. But while the U.S. government may have reservations about the UAE's pursuit of AI and ties with China, what is crucial for American industry is that the UAE has both the financial resources to fund expensive artificial intelligence research and a government committed to advancing its development. "They're among the leaders today and they're on a path to be at the very top," Cerebras CEO Andrew Feldman said in July. (Reporting by Alexander Cornwell with additional reporting by Federico Maccioni; Writing by Alexander Cornwell and Andrew Mills, Editing by William Maclean)

Joe Biden Set To Welcome UAE President For Talks On AI Cooperation During Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan's First Official Visit in 7 Years - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), Samsung Electronics Co (OTC:SSNLF)

President of U.A.E., Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan will meet U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington on Monday. The discussion will focus on artificial intelligence cooperation as the U.A.E. seeks easier access to advanced U.S.-made technology. What Happened: This marks Sheikh Mohamed's first official visit to the US in seven years, highlighting his commitment to securing White House support for the U.A.E.'s AI ambitions. The U.A.E., a key U.S. ally in the Middle East, has faced strained relations with Washington in recent years, Financial Times reported on Monday. AI has revitalized the U.S.-U.A.E. relationship. Abu Dhabi aims to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by partnering with American tech firms. Anwar Gargash, Sheikh Mohamed's diplomatic adviser, emphasized the importance of not missing out on technological advancements. See Also: Elon Musk And Nvidia CEO Share Vision Of AI-Powered Personal Assistants, LinkedIn Under Scrutiny And More The U.S. had added Gulf states to a restricted list for importing advanced AI chips, causing delays for U.A.E. companies. Two sources expect the presidents to agree on a framework for U.S.-U.A.E. AI cooperation. One source mentioned the U.A.E.'s goal of establishing a "road map" before the U.S. election to ensure progress regardless of the future administration. The U.A.E.'s AI group G42 recently partnered with Nvidia on a weather forecasting initiative, and Abu Dhabi's MGX announced a $30 billion AI investment fund with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, and Microsoft. Why It Matters: The UAE's push for AI collaboration with the U.S. is part of a broader strategy to diversify its economy. The nation is leveraging its wealth to become a global AI powerhouse. In June, the U.A.E. signed a $1.5 billion deal with Microsoft Corp. MSFT to invest in Abu Dhabi's AI firm G42. Additionally, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. TSM and Samsung Electronics Co. SSNLF are exploring the construction of $100 billion chip megafactories in the U.A.E. These projects could significantly bolster the U.A.E.'s tech industry and global chip production capabilities. Read Next: Elon Musk Reacts After Mark Cuban Says He Would Buy X 'In A Heartbeat' Image by Kalashae via Wikimedia Commons This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs