A top UAE official plans to visit Washington to press for easier access to American technology and discuss investment in the US, according to people familiar with the matter, seeking to sway the Trump administration on export controls governing the advanced semiconductors needed to power artificial intelligence.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, who’s the UAE’s national security adviser and brother of the country’s president, is slated to meet with Trump cabinet officials as soon as next week, said the people, who requested anonymity because the travel plans aren’t yet public. That would likely include Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz. It’s unclear whether he will meet with the president, the people said.
Top of mind for the United Arab Emirates is its ability to buy cutting-edge chips from the likes of Nvidia Corp. The Gulf nation is vying to become a regional powerhouse for AI development, and has poured massive amounts of capital into data centers used for training AI models. But the US has limited exports of advanced chips to the UAE since 2023 and a fresh set of regulations is slated to cap the total computing power for most countries. Trump’s team is currently reviewing whether to proceed with the Biden-era rules as envisioned — or adjust them.
Sheikh Tahnoon plans to advocate for easier access to cutting-edge semiconductors and to highlight the UAE’s plans for substantial investments in tech infrastructure on American soil. That includes funding from Abu Dhabi-based MGX for a $100 billion AI infrastructure venture that President Donald Trump unveiled during his first week in office.
