U.S. approves Nvidia AI Chip exports to UAE after investments
The U.S. approved several billion dollars in Nvidia AI chip exports to the United Arab Emirates after Abu Dhabi pledged matching investments in the United States.
The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued export licenses after Emirati officials outlined concrete plans to invest a reciprocal amount on U.S. soil, according to U.S. officials.
The permits are the first authorizations for Nvidia AI chip sales to the UAE since President Donald Trump took office. According to preliminary information, they also are linked to plans for a five-gigawatt data center in Abu Dhabi that lists OpenAI as an anchor tenant.
The permits are the first authorizations for Nvidia AI chip sales to the UAE since President Donald Trump took office. According to preliminary information, they also are linked to plans for a five-gigawatt data center in Abu Dhabi that lists OpenAI as an anchor tenant.
U.S. officials said the UAE pledged about $1.4 trillion in investments in the United States over the next decade, though project details were not disclosed. A U.S. official declined to specify the exact value of the approved chip shipments or the matching Emirati investment.
The initial approvals do not include chips for G42, the Abu Dhabi technology firm partnering with OpenAI on the campus. Under the global pact, the U.S. agreed to allow up to 500,000 advanced American AI chips to be sold to the UAE each year, with about one-fifth earmarked for G42.
Future license approvals will depend in part on how the UAE’s investment plans develop. The Commerce Department described the deal as 'transformational' in a statement. Recently, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted a new wave of investment in AI.
The current administration has moved to accelerate approvals and broaden cooperation with Gulf partners while imposing operational safeguards. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers that allies may buy advanced chips, provided the systems are run by approved American data-center operators and connected to approved American cloud services.
The initial approvals do not include chips for G42, the Abu Dhabi technology firm partnering with OpenAI on the campus. Under the global pact, the U.S. agreed to allow up to 500,000 advanced American AI chips to be sold to the UAE each year, with about one-fifth earmarked for G42.
Future license approvals will depend in part on how the UAE’s investment plans develop. The Commerce Department described the deal as 'transformational' in a statement. Recently, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted a new wave of investment in AI.
The current administration has moved to accelerate approvals and broaden cooperation with Gulf partners while imposing operational safeguards. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told lawmakers that allies may buy advanced chips, provided the systems are run by approved American data-center operators and connected to approved American cloud services.
