Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, is set to travel to Washington to request that the Trump administration ease export controls on advanced semiconductors. As the brother of the UAE’s president, Sheikh Tahnoon will engage with US cabinet officials to secure easier access to American technology and will also discuss Emirati investments in the United States, according to a report from Bloomberg.

The meeting is anticipated to include discussions with high-ranking officials such as the US secretaries of commerce, treasury, and national security. While it is unclear if President Trump will participate, the request for this meeting reportedly came directly from him.

The UAE has been actively procuring microchips from companies like Nvidia and has been investing in data centers and artificial intelligence capabilities. However, geopolitical tensions and a surge in global demand have complicated procurement efforts. Since 2023, the US has imposed restrictions on the export of advanced chips to the UAE, with new regulations set to cap the total computing power available to most countries, including the UAE.

As part of these restrictions, introduced in January and scheduled to take effect in May, the UAE has been designated as a “second-tier” country. This classification limits chip exports to 50,000 advanced processors, with the possibility of acquiring more in exchange for security assurances. The US has expressed concerns regarding the UAE’s relationship with China, which has contributed to these limitations.

These US export controls present challenges for the UAE, which aspires to be a leader in AI on both regional and global levels. To navigate these restrictions, the UAE is collaborating closely with American firms such as Microsoft, which has a stake in G42, the UAE’s leading AI company managed by Sheikh Tahnoon.