Trump hosts UAE National Security Advisor at White House, discusses ‘advancing’ of ‘economic and technological futures’
Donald Trump has revealed that he recently hosted UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House.
President Donald Trump revealed in a Truth Social post that he recently hosted UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the White House. He also shed light on what they discussed during the meeting.
“Tonight, in the White House, I warmly welcomed UAE National Security Advisor H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan to meetings and a dinner with many notable, senior U.S. officials,” Trump wrote.
“The evening demonstrated the long-standing ties and bonds of friendship between our countries. UAE and the U.S. have long been partners in the work to bring peace and security to the Middle East and the World. Discussions also included ways for our countries to increase our partnership for the advancing of our economic and technological futures,” he added.
What could Donald Trump and Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan discuss?
News of Trump’s meeting with the national security adviser had recently surfaced. The two were expected to speak on a range of issues, including increasing Emirati investment in the US, technology and energy. Notably, the UAE wants to buy cutting-edge chips from companies including Nvidia Corp. in an attempt to become a regional powerhouse for artificial intelligence. Abu Dhabi has already provided huge amounts of capital into data centres used to train AI models, but restrictions on exports of advanced chips have reportedly limited the ambitions. The restrictions were put in place under former President Joe Biden back in 2023.
In Biden’s final days in office, he even proposed new regulations capping the sale of advanced chips. At present, Trump’s team is evaluating whether or not to implement the curbs.
Ahead of Sheikh Tahnoon’s meeting with Trump, people familiar with his plans said he would seek easier access to chips, Livemint reported. He was also expected to highlight the UAE’s plans for tech infrastructure built in America, including funding from Abu Dhabi-based MGX for a $100 billion AI infrastructure venture that was unveiled by Trump during his very first week in office. However, Trump did not disclose details about their discussion.
Earlier on Tuesday, Vice President JD Vance said at a tech summit that the administration is “thrilled” to have an Emirati delegation in Washington. He also praised the nation as a likely AI partner.
“One of the things they consistently hammer upon — it’s something that unfortunately too few of our European allies tend to get — is that if you want to lead in artificial intelligence, you’ve got to be leading in energy production,” Vance reportedly said.
