Nvidia chips have gained U.S. export approval to the UAE, marking a game-changing step toward the Gulf nation’s ambition to be a global artificial intelligence hub.
According to unnamed sources, Nvidia received an export licence from the U.S. Department of Commerce under the terms of a bilateral AI agreement signed in May. The approval follows the UAE’s commitment to invest in the United States, though details regarding the value of the chip shipments or Emirati investments have not been disclosed.
Also Read: Microsoft Urges Trump to Aid US Exports of AI chips to GCC
In May, both countries announced Stargate UAE, a flagship project under the UAE-U.S. AI Campus agreement, signed during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to the Emirates When completed, the 25-square-kilometre Stargate UAE campus in Abu Dhabi will become the world’s largest AI facility outside the U.S., boasting a 5-gigawatt capacity.
The first phase will deploy hundreds of thousands of Nvidia GPUs to power large-scale AI development and research programs across the region. However, the initial batch will not include chips for G42, the UAE’s AI group that has partnered with OpenAI.
The move signals a significant policy shift from the restrictions enforced under former President Joe Biden, who had tightened control over advanced chip exports to multiple nations, including the UAE.
President Trump has since vowed to revoke those limits, enabling approved partner nations to access restricted technology in exchange for new security assurances.
Adding to the momentum, UAE-based technology investor MGX is reportedly in talks to acquire a stake in Aligned Data Centers, a U.S. firm specializing in AI-grade digital infrastructure.
MGX was launched in March 2024 with Mubadala and G42 as founding partners and joined the $30 billion Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership in September last year, a move that underscores the UAE’s growing role in global AI investment and data-center development.
Why Nvidia Chips Matters to the Gulf
The U.S. approval for Nvidia chips exports is more than a commercial deal; it’s a strategic milestone cementing the UAE’s position as a Gulf AI leader.
With projects like Stargate UAE and MGX’s expanding investment footprint, the nation is fast becoming a regional powerhouse in AI infrastructure and supercomputing capacity.
