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The UAE leader met President Biden in Washington on September 23 to discuss AI cooperation and announced principles ahead of the election.
During Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan’s first U.S. trip in seven years, the meeting focused on securing U.S. support for advancing the UAE’s leadership in AI and gaining access to advanced American technology.
Joe Biden meets UAE president for AI cooperation And takes no questions. pic.twitter.com/rVERdGPXVi
— 🇺🇸Land Of ILLUSION🇺🇸 (@Landofillusion1) September 23, 2024
According to Emirates News Agency, President Biden and Sheikh Mohamed announced the Common Principles for Cooperation on AI and aimed to establish a framework for collaboration before the US election to ensure progress, regardless of the next administration. Officials are also working to update the UAE’s export designation to improve access to chips.
The UAE’s Pursuit of AI Cooperation With the US
The UAE has been a pioneer in the AI industry, appointing the world’s first AI minister in 2017 and launching the first AI-focused graduate university two years later. The Emirates is investing billions in AI, including developing chatbot applications in Arabic and Hindi akin to ChatGPT. Abu Dhabi is prioritizing AI to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and has partnered with leading American tech companies.
However, last year, the U.S. restricted Gulf states from freely importing advanced AI chips due to concerns about technology leaks to China. As a result, UAE companies must now obtain licenses for these exports, causing delays in several AI projects.
Facing influence from the Biden administration, G42 removed Chinese hardware and divested from Chinese investments to collaborate more closely with American companies, leading to a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft. To further strengthen ties with U.S. companies, G42 announced a partnership with Nvidia last week to develop a weather forecasting initiative. Additionally, MGX, an Abu Dhabi AI investment vehicle, partnered with BlackRock, Global Infrastructure Partners, and Microsoft to launch a $30 billion fund for data centers and their energy needs.
