Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, is set to travel to Washington to urge the Trump administration to relax export controls on advanced semiconductors. This meeting comes at the request of President Trump and is expected to involve key US cabinet officials, including the secretaries of commerce, treasury, and national security. It remains uncertain whether President Trump will personally take part in the discussions.

The UAE has been purchasing significant quantities of microchips from companies like Nvidia and has been investing in data centers and artificial intelligence capabilities. However, geopolitical tensions and soaring global demand have complicated the procurement process. Since 2023, the US has placed restrictions on the export of advanced chips to the UAE, and new regulations scheduled for enforcement in May will cap the total computing power allowed to most countries, including the UAE.

Under these latest US chip restrictions, the UAE has been designated as a “second-tier” country, limiting chip exports to 50 000 advanced processors. Additional exports may be possible if the UAE provides security commitments. The US’s concerns about the UAE primarily stem from its relationship with China, which complicates the UAE’s ambitions to become a regional and global leader in artificial intelligence. To navigate these restrictions, the UAE has sought to collaborate with American firms like Microsoft, which holds a stake in G42, the UAE’s national AI champion controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon.