Reading view

Silicon, not oil: Why the U.S. needs the Gulf for AI

The U.S. is tapping Gulf nations to win the artificial intelligence race. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are set to join Pax Silica, a U.S.-led initiative aimed at securing...

© Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg Convenes The Pax Silica Summit, the first convening of a high level, private gathering focused on economic security and the establishment of a new grouping of partners tailored for the AI economy at Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace on December 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg)
  •  

U.S. gains in AI race as Gulf nations ditch China for chips

The Middle East just became the newest battlefield in the U.S.-China artificial intelligence war. The Commerce Department’s approval of 70,000 advanced AI chips to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi...

© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

President Donald Trump and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia at the White House on November 18, 2025.
  •  
❌