The Trump administration is clearing a path for two key Persian Gulf allies to pursue their artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions – and some of the biggest US technology companies are seizing on that opening with plans to spend billions of dollars in the region.
The deals are taking shape, while President Donald Trump visits the Middle East to forge deeper business ties that put US technology initiatives at centre stage. Even before any formal announcement of accords between the US and its partners, news began to emerge of American companies readying expanded projects in the region.
Those AI initiatives stood out in a flurry of investments unveiled on the first full day of Trump’s visit to the region.
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, Trump was joined by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in hailing closer commercial relations. The deals also have included expanded purchases of Boeing passenger jets and a promise by the kingdom to allow Elon Musk’s Starlink service to be used in aviation and maritime shipping.
To pave the way on AI, the US on Tuesday moved formally to rescind the so-called AI diffusion rule launched under President Joe Biden. That measure, which created three broad tiers of access for countries seeking AI chips, had faced intense opposition from companies like Nvidia and American allies over the constraints it placed on countries’ semiconductor purchases.
