US, UAE to Build AI Campuses in Both Nations

The United States and United Arab Emirates have agreed to construct the largest artificial intelligence campus outside the U.S. in Abu Dhabi, unveiled during President Donald Trump's visit. The 5-gigawatt facility will be built by Emirati firm G42 in partnership with several U.S. companies and aims to expand AI and cloud capabilities across the Middle East and the Global South. This deal, part of the new US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, marks a policy shift after previous U.S. administrations restricted such partnerships over concerns about Chinese access to advanced AI. The agreement includes joint regulation of computing resources, strong safeguards to prevent diversion of U.S. technology, and a UAE commitment to align national security rules with the U.S. Notably, the UAE has also pledged to build or finance equally large data centers in the United States. The partnership is seen as a significant boost to the UAE’s global AI ambitions and U.S. strategic interests in the region.