What AI technology did Middle Eastern countries gain access to?

Saudi Arabia's Humain and the UAE's G42 were each approved to purchase the equivalent of up to 35,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GB300 chips, subject to American security restrictions and oversight. The UAE also secured approval to build a computing complex with a planned capacity of five gigawatts, the largest outside the United States, with American participation and under U.S. security and oversight mechanisms.

What is the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia?

The U.S. Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia signed a Section 123 agreement for civil nuclear cooperation and a safeguards agreement last week. The U.S. Department of Energy described it as the foundation for a "multi-decade partnership worth billions of dollars" that would give American companies broad access to Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program. Trump added a condition that the agreement will not take effect unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, and it will be submitted to Congress for review during a 90-day session.

What security guarantee did Qatar receive from Trump?

In September, following an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, Trump signed a presidential order declaring that any armed attack on Qatar's territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure would be considered a threat to the peace and security of the United States, committing Washington to military action if necessary. Such a guarantee is unusual for a country outside NATO.

AI Regulation & PolicyTop Companies' AI MovesTop Companies AIJul 27, 2026Jul 28, 2026, 06:31 JST

Trump trades weapons, AI chips, nuclear deals for Middle East investment

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3 Key Points

What happened
Since returning to office in January 2025, Trump has secured strategic asset sales—advanced fighter jets, missile defense systems, cutting-edge AI chips, civil nuclear cooperation—to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Turkey, and other regional partners. In return, the White House is locking in orders for Boeing, defense and energy companies, and broad commitments to purchase hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of American goods and services. Saudi Arabia alone committed nearly $1 trillion in investment and procurement; the UAE pledged more than $200 billion alongside a $1.4 trillion decade-long investment framework.
Why it matters
The White House has created a transactional model where strategic military, technology, and security benefits flow from Washington in exchange for financial commitments that support American defense contractors and energy firms. AI chip approvals are particularly notable—NVIDIA Blackwell GB300 chips, normally difficult to obtain, went to Saudi Arabia's Humain (up to 35,000 units) and UAE's G42 (up to 35,000 units) under U.S. security oversight. Meanwhile, businesses linked to the Trump family and Jared Kushner are expanding simultaneously in these same countries, creating an overlap between official negotiations and private commercial interests, though the body notes there is no public evidence of direct quid pro quo.
What to watch
The civil nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, signed last week, is described as the foundation for a "multi-decade partnership worth billions of dollars." Trump has added a new condition: the deal will not take effect unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords. The agreement will be submitted to Congress for review during a 90-day session. For Turkey, Trump indicated in early July his intention to lift sanctions and reconsider F-35 program membership, though such moves still face Congressional hurdles.

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Context & Analysis

Trump's Middle East strategy rests on a clear exchange: strategic assets—particularly advanced military systems, cutting-edge AI chips, and nuclear technology that have historically been difficult or impossible for regional partners to obtain—in return for financial commitments that benefit American defense contractors, energy companies, and other industries. Saudi Arabia emerges as the centerpiece of this model, moving from a $600 billion commitment announced during Trump's May 2025 visit to "nearly a trillion dollars" by November, paired with F-35 fighter jet approvals, tank sales, and access to NVIDIA's most advanced AI chips. The UAE pursued AI access aggressively, securing approval for the largest computing complex outside the U.S. and similar chip purchases, while simultaneously committing to a $1.4 trillion decade-long investment framework. Qatar and Turkey each secured distinct prizes—Qatar received an unusual security guarantee and approved a $400 million Boeing 747-8 aircraft transfer to the U.S. government for presidential use, while Turkey moved toward sanctions relief and potential F-35 reinstatement after years of exclusion.

Overlaying this official ledger is a parallel commercial landscape. The Trump Organization launched two Trump-branded projects in Saudi Arabia with a combined development value of approximately $10 billion; Qatari Diar partnered with DarGlobal to develop Trump-branded golf and villa projects in Doha just two weeks before Trump's May visit; and Abu Dhabi's MGX announced a $2 billion Binance investment using USD1, a stablecoin affiliated with the Trump family, which reportedly held a 60% stake and was entitled to 75% of token-sale proceeds and 60% of operating income. Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners secured a $2 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund before Trump took office and raised another $1.5 billion from Middle Eastern investors by end of 2024; since Trump's return, the firm joined Saudi Arabia's PIF and Silver Lake in a roughly $55 billion bid to acquire video game publisher Electronic Arts. The body explicitly states there is no public evidence that any specific political decision was exchanged for a private business opportunity and therefore no basis to characterize the relationship as a quid pro quo, yet the overlap between negotiating countries and Trump family business hosts has become an increasingly prominent part of the debate surrounding the administration's Middle East policy.

FAQ

What AI technology did Middle Eastern countries gain access to?: Saudi Arabia's Humain and the UAE's G42 were each approved to purchase the equivalent of up to 35,000 NVIDIA Blackwell GB300 chips, subject to American security restrictions and oversight. The UAE also secured approval to build a computing complex with a planned capacity of five gigawatts, the largest outside the United States, with American participation and under U.S. security and oversight mechanisms.
What is the nuclear agreement between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia?: The U.S. Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia signed a Section 123 agreement for civil nuclear cooperation and a safeguards agreement last week. The U.S. Department of Energy described it as the foundation for a "multi-decade partnership worth billions of dollars" that would give American companies broad access to Saudi Arabia's civilian nuclear program. Trump added a condition that the agreement will not take effect unless Saudi Arabia joins the Abraham Accords, and it will be submitted to Congress for review during a 90-day session.
What security guarantee did Qatar receive from Trump?: In September, following an Israeli strike targeting Hamas leaders in Doha, Trump signed a presidential order declaring that any armed attack on Qatar's territory, sovereignty or critical infrastructure would be considered a threat to the peace and security of the United States, committing Washington to military action if necessary. Such a guarantee is unusual for a country outside NATO.

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