UAE A 'Great American Ally', Says US Official As First AI Chips Delivered

A senior US official has described the UAE as a great American ally whose transformation over two decades stands as a testament to a shared drive to build the future, as the first batch of advanced AI chips was delivered to the UAE.

The delivery marks a significant milestone in the rapidly expanding US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, a $1.4-trillion initiative aimed at transforming the global technology landscape.

Jacob S. Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, praised the UAE's remarkable transformation and its deep alignment with American technological ambitions.

“The UAE is a great American ally and a cherished partner of choice,” Helberg stated on X.

He added,“In 20 short years, it has turned entire deserts into edifices of culture, knowledge, and refined architecture. Our nations share a visceral drive to embrace, accelerate, and build the future. Under President Trump's and Secretary Rubio's leadership, the United States and the UAE have taken the bilateral partnership to unprecedented new heights.”

This came after Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the United States, who confirmed the arrival of the critical technology on May 8, 2026, during a keynote address at the SCSP AI+ Expo in Washington, D.C.

“The first batch of advanced AI chips have been delivered to the UAE, and more are on the way,” Ambassador Al Otaiba announced.“The UAE is all in on American tech. We are not hedging. We are not diversifying away. We made a choice and we are doubling down on it.”

The delivery of the advanced chips, which include Nvidia's highly coveted processors, follows the US government's approval in November 2025 to export thousands of next-generation semiconductors to the UAE.

This approval was contingent on rigorous security assurances and the establishment of a“gold standard” Regulated Technology Environment (RTE) to ensure the technology is deployed responsibly.

Ambassador Al Otaiba highlighted the sheer scale of the bilateral cooperation, describing it as potentially“the most consequential economic partnership of this decade.”

The UAE has already invested $1 trillion in the US, with an additional $1.4 trillion committed over the next decade. This massive capital injection spans AI infrastructure, energy, and manufacturing, creating thousands of jobs across America. In the past year alone, more than 30 strategic deals have been signed between the two nations.

A centerpiece of this partnership is the 5-gigawatt (GW) UAE-US AI Campus currently under construction in Abu Dhabi. The project, which broke ground exactly a year ago during President Donald Trump's visit to the UAE in May 2025, is designed to be a global hub for AI innovation.

“The first 200 megawatts will come online very soon,” Al Otaiba noted, emphasising the speed at which the infrastructure is being developed.

From this Abu Dhabi base, American technology will have the capacity to serve roughly half the world's population, providing a model for deploying US technology responsibly to emerging markets in the Global South.

The successful export of the chips underscores the deep trust between Washington and Abu Dhabi. The UAE has implemented strict, transparent safeguards under joint oversight with the US to secure advanced technologies.

“We believe the future of AI must be grounded in trust,” Al Otaiba said.“And we are working with the US to build the architecture that makes that principle real.”

The UAE's strategic pivot towards advanced technology was also highlighted by its historic decision to leave OPEC after nearly 60 years.“We walked away not over a quarrel about quotas, but because that era is over,” the Ambassador explained.“The new club is built on AI, advanced technology, and trusted partnerships.”

As the first chips are installed and the AI campus nears its initial operational phase, the UAE has firmly established itself not just as a regional powerhouse, but as an“advanced AI power” on the global stage, ready to shape the future of technology alongside its American allies.

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