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UAE AMBASSADOR YOUSEF AL OTAIBA: US and UAE forge groundbreaking high-tech partnership based on AI

Wed, 04 Jun 2025 05:00:58 -0400

President Donald Trump’s recent visit to the UAE marked a pivotal moment for UAE-U.S. bilateral relations, shining a spotlight on a shared vision for the future. As the UAE and the "New Gulf" pivot from oil to cutting-edge technologies, our partnership with the U.S., rooted in decades of trust, has become a beacon of what’s possible when nations collaborate.

This trust has paved the way for a bold new chapter: a strategic economic alliance poised to create tens of thousands of high-tech, energy and manufacturing jobs, driving prosperity in both of our countries.

At the heart of this collaboration lies the new U.S.-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership. This initiative will advance cooperation in artificial intelligence and other transformative technologies while spurring investment flows between our nations.

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A cornerstone of this effort is the establishment of a 10-square mile state-of-the-art AI campus in Abu Dhabi, the largest outside the U.S.. With five gigawatts of AI data center capacity, it will act as a vital hub for U.S. hyperscalers or large cloud service providers and large enterprises, serving partners and friends across the region and in the global south.

To support this vision, the UAE and U.S. governments have agreed on a pathway for the UAE to acquire advanced American AI semiconductors.

A handful of U.S. voices have begun to raise concerns about the security of this technology. The fact is that we understand these concerns and fully agree that access to sensitive technologies comes with great responsibility.

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Importantly, this new partnership sets a global benchmark for securing advanced U.S. technology. Through the implementation of a "Regulated Technology Environment," approved UAE organizations acquiring regulated US technologies will adhere to extensive physical and cybersecurity protocols.

These involve regular audits, third-party validations and active oversight by both nations’ governments. The direct involvement of leading U.S. companies further ensures that advanced AI chips and technologies are fully protected from diversion or unauthorized access.

This is nothing new. These measures underscore our commitment to a long-term, trusted technology partnership with the U.S. that builds on decades of collaboration.

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The UAE previously established the Executive Office for Control and Non-Proliferation with the mission to enhance export controls and prevent the unauthorized transfer of dual-use military/civilian items and technologies. For over 25 years, the UAE has deployed cutting-edge American defense technologies, from F-16 fighter jets to THAAD missile systems. And the strict safeguards in a landmark 2009 agreement have enabled the UAE access to U.S. civilian nuclear energy know-how and cooperation.

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Further confirming this mutual trust, UAE-backed GlobalFoundries manufactures America’s most classified microchips for defense and advanced computing in upstate New York and Vermont. As a key part of the new partnership, UAE companies will expand these technology investments into new U.S. data centers, digital infrastructure and energy projects, critical to powering the AI revolution.

This partnership is a two-way street. U.S. companies are also doubling down on their presence in the UAE. Microsoft is partnering with G42, Google is launching a Cyber Security Excellence Center in Abu Dhabi, and Raytheon is opening a new UAE production facility.

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Major U.S. financial institutions, including BlackRock and JPMorgan, have set up shop in Abu Dhabi, while Wynn Resorts and Disney are developing landmark projects in the Emirates. From Abu Dhabi to Atlanta, Dubai to Detroit, and Ras Al Khaimah to Reno, investment is flowing, technology is advancing and businesses are thriving.

The recent meeting between President Trump and UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan wasn’t just a celebration of past achievements, it was a launchpad for what’s next. This partnership isn’t just about quick wins; it’s about building a shared future of innovation, opportunity, and prosperity. Together, the UAE and the U.S. are crafting a legacy that will not only benefit our two nations but also inspire progress around the world for decades to come.

UAE Ambassador: Fifteen years after 9/11 it is Arabs who have the most at stake

Sat, 10 Sep 2016 16:29:00 -0400

Fifteen years after the horrific attacks, the pain of 9/11 is as fresh as ever in New York, Washington and across the United States. But sadly, extremist brutality did not stop that day. From San Bernadino to Yemen, Paris to Bangladesh the reach of a sophisticated and persistent enemy has only grown.

The effects of Al Qaeda, ISIS, the Muslim Brotherhood, Iran and their proxies reach far into Europe, America and Asia. But in the Middle East, in the heart of the Arab world, we face an existential threat from extremism. Our communities, our families, our livelihoods, our entire way of life are exposed and under constant attack.

As the reach of extremism has expanded so too has the challenge in confronting it. U.S. power and leadership in the fight against extremism remains indispensable. However, now at risk, as never before, it is the UAE and America’s other Arab allies who are shouldering a greater role in the struggle.

This means using military force. This means stopping the flow of funds and fighters. This means challenging radical ideologies.

9/11 was a wake-up call for my country. The fact that two of the hijackers came from the UAE was alarming and unsettling. We realized that the radicalization of our youth was becoming a grave danger to our country, to the region and to the world.

We instinctively understood that Muslims – moderate Muslims – must lead this battle for the future. We started first at home, moving aggressively against radicalization by reforming schools and curricula, offering clearer guidelines to religious leaders and providing better opportunities for our young people.

The UAE and other like-minded Arab nations also knew that we needed to attack extremist safe havens around the region and that this needed to be a shared fight with the U.S. and other allies. Shortly after 9/11, the UAE military joined the fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan and we remained on the frontlines there with the US and NATO for more than 12 years.

Today, it is the UAE and other Arab forces spearheading the fight against Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), perhaps the most dangerous of all the Al Qaeda franchises. In April, our coalition launched a major offensive against AQAP in Eastern Yemen with the US providing critical support. Earlier in the year, UAE-trained and supported local forces also retook Aden, Yemen’s second largest city, from Iranian-backed rebels and other AQAP elements.

Our intensive hunt for the extremists also continues on the horn of Africa, where UAE forces work closely with the U.S. and others to degrade and destroy Al Shabab. In Syria and Libya and in other places across the region, UAE and other Arab militaries continue to work closely with the U.S. and other allies to attack other ISIS and AQ-linked extremists.

But the fight on the battlefield is only one of the fronts in this multifaceted war. Working with the US and other international partners, we are attacking the ideology of the extremists.

A joint UAE-US initiative, the Sawab Center is confronting the spread of extremism in social media and online. In another collaboration, Hedayah is an innovation lab for diverting young people away from radicalization, testing new intervention programs and developing new training courses for community leaders.

Working with Arab partners, we are also amplifying the moderate voices of Islam through institutions like the Muslim Council of Elders and the Forum for Promoting Peace in Muslim Societies. These scholarly bodies work on the global stage to clarify and correct Islamic ideology hijacked by the extremists.

In the UAE, we are advancing moderation in both our schools and places of worship. Our education system is built to reinforce Islam’s true values based on dialogue, tolerance, moderation, and peace. And in our mosques, we are modernizing the way Islam is taught, developing new training programs for imams and updating Koranic commentaries.

We also recognize the vital importance of skills training and job opportunities for youth at home and across the region to encourage their entrance into the workforce rather than let them fall prey to terrorist recruitment.

Fifteen years after 9/11, the long war against extremism continues. It is now a global fight against a borderless plague. While every country is at risk, today it is Arabs who have the most at stake. And it is Arabs who must lead in this fight for tolerance and humanity, with force and with ideas, where we pray and where we live, online, in the classroom and on the battlefield.