UAE signs $200B in deals with US, deepens AI cooperation

U.S. President Trump visits Abu Dhabi as Gulf tour sparks flurry of billion-dollar agreements while Israel’s genocide in Gaza continues unabated

ABU DHABI, UAE (MNTV) – The United Arab Emirates on Thursday signed over $200 billion in new deals with the United States during a visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to Abu Dhabi, including agreements to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence and expand commercial partnerships.

President Trump’s tour, part of a broader swing through the Gulf, comes as Israel’s military offensive continues to kill hundreds of Palestinians daily in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Following talks with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the White House announced a slate of commercial and strategic agreements.

These included a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to purchase 28 Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft powered by GE Aerospace engines, and a $4 billion aluminum smelter project in Oklahoma by Emirates Global Aluminum.

The two countries also launched a “US-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership” and unveiled a new 5-gigawatt AI campus, touted as the largest outside the United States.

Trump was warmly received in the Emirati capital, touring the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with Sheikh Mohamed.

“It is so beautiful,” Trump told reporters. “They closed it for the day in honor of the United States. That’s a great tribute.”

A White House fact sheet confirmed that the UAE is accelerating its previously pledged $1.4 trillion investment into the United States over the next decade.

In energy, ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources are partnering with Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to expand oil and gas production in a project valued at $60 billion.

Trump praised the deepening partnership, saying: “I have absolutely no doubt that the relationship will only get bigger and better.”

Sheikh Mohamed responded by expressing a desire to “continue and strengthen this friendship for the benefit of the two countries and peoples.”

Trump also met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and announced a preliminary agreement for the UAE to import 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips annually.

The deal includes UAE commitments to fund data centers in the U.S. with capabilities matching those in the Gulf state and to implement strict controls preventing diversion of U.S. technology, particularly to China.

The Biden administration had previously imposed tight restrictions on AI chip exports to the Middle East over fears of Chinese access to sensitive technologies. Trump’s shift marks a significant policy reversal.

The tour’s economic achievements have been accompanied by sweeping diplomatic gestures.

Trump said the U.S. is “very close” to a new nuclear agreement with Iran and announced plans to lift long standing sanctions on Syria after meeting interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

In Qatar, Trump revealed a $42 billion defense deal and hailed Doha’s $10 billion investment in a U.S. military facility.

In Saudi Arabia, a $600 billion investment package into the U.S. and $142 billion in arms purchases were announced.

Qatar Airways also signed an agreement to purchase up to 210 Boeing widebody jets.

But while Trump’s Gulf tour has delivered headlines of economic cooperation and artificial intelligence ambitions, it has taken place under the shadow of Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The genocide, which has intensified in recent weeks, continues to claim the lives of hundreds of Palestinians daily, according to regional and humanitarian sources.

The absence of a strong condemnation or response from the Trump delegation has drawn criticism from rights groups and observers who accuse Washington of enabling the violence through continued military, diplomatic, and political support for Israel.