When Donald Trump landed in the UAE earlier this year, the headlines focused on politics—but the real story was business. The visit sealed a landmark deal: the creation of Stargate, a multibillion-dollar AI infrastructure project led by UAE-based tech firm G42. Backed by over $1 billion in investment, Stargate aims to become the largest AI hub outside the United States. It will host massive data centers built in partnership with Nvidia, Oracle, Cisco, and SoftBank, supplying the computing power behind next-gen AI models.
The deal came as the U.S. eased export restrictions on Nvidia’s top-tier chips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia—signaling a strategic pivot. The Gulf, long dependent on oil, is investing heavily to become a global AI player. The UAE is pumping money into AI-focused ventures like MGX, a $100 billion joint project with Microsoft, while Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is developing “AI factories” with hundreds of thousands of Nvidia chips.
It’s a shift in power dynamics. The Gulf brings capital, ambition, and infrastructure. The U.S. brings technology. And together, they’re redefining what comes after oil.
