Muslim Brotherhood rejects US terrorist designation, accuses UAE and Israel of involvement

In a statement, the group said it firmly opposes the executive order issued on the 24th of this month. It stressed that the move is politically motivated and the result of external pressure from Israel and the UAE to push President Donald Trump’s administration to issue the decision. The statement said: “Many Democratic governments, including the United States government, have previously reviewed such proposals and reached the same conclusion: that classifying the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group is completely detached from reality and not supported by any evidence (..) The facts have not changed.” (Read more at Middle East Monitor)

UAE President adviser welcomes US efforts to end Sudan war

Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic adviser to the United Arab Emirates' president, said on Tuesday the UAE welcomed US efforts to end war in Sudan and condemned "atrocities" committed by both Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (Read more at Khaleej Times).

U.S. authorizes Nvidia chip exports to UAE’s G42 and Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN

Both companies are receiving approvals to purchase the equivalent of up to 35,000 Nvidia Blackwell chips (GB300s), said the department in a statement. “These approvals will promote continued American AI dominance and global technological leadership – consistent with President Trump’s July 2025 AI Action Plan. The approvals also follow landmark U.S.-Saudi and U.S.-UAE AI partnership agreements,” the statement added (Read more at Middle East Economy).

UAE’s EDGE Eyes U.S. Arms Market with Joint Production Push

Founded in 2019 and fully state-owned by Abu Dhabi, EDGE Group is a rapidly growing advanced technology and defense conglomerate. Its portfolio spans a wide range of capabilities—from drones, armored vehicles, and radar systems to cyber and secure communications tech (Read more at Defense Watch).

Mohammed bin Salman expected to lobby Trump over UAE role in Sudan

The move, which follows a phone call last week between Mohammed bin Salman and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) commander Abdul Fattah al-Burhan, would mark a rare direct engagement between the Saudi ruler and Trump on Sudan. A Sudanese source briefed on the call between Mohammed bin Salman and Burhan said that the general told the crown prince there was no way the war in Sudan would end without US pressure on the UAE. The source told MEE that Mohammed bin Salman promised Burhan he would raise the issue with Trump (Read more at Middle East Eye).

Dubai hookah maker AIR to go public in US via $1.75 billion SPAC deal

The deal with the Cantor Fitzgerald-backed special purpose acquisition company comes as this unconventional route to the public markets has regained popularity in the U.S. after years of subdued activity, following poor share performance and regulatory roadblocks (Source: Reuters).

Microsoft’s $15.2 billion USD investment in the UAE

As Abu Dhabi and Dubai kick off a significant week hosting annual energy and technology conferences, we want to share details of our ongoing and planned investments in the United Arab Emirates. Roughly two and a half years ago, we embarked on a new AI initiative with the encouragement and support of both the United States and UAE governments. Much of this progress has involved a new partnership with G42, the UAE’s sovereign AI company, with whom we’re making critical progress (Read more at Mircrosoft).

Cerebras to expand AI infrastructure to the UAE

California-based artificial intelligence chip designer Cerebras Systems plans to deploy its AI infrastructure to the United Arab Emirates to support the Stargate UAE project (Read more at DC Pulse).

Trump Team Approves Nvidia Chip Sales for US Projects in UAE

The approved shipments are for American companies operating facilities in the UAE, but permits were not issued for Nvidia shipments to local customers such as Abu Dhabi AI company G42 (Read more at Bloomberg).

Delays to Trump's UAE chips deal frustrate Nvidia

The delays are a setback to Huang and White House AI Czar David Sacks, who hoped to see the deal advance quickly to highlight a new U.S. tech strategy focused on exports, according to people familiar with the matter. They see agreements like the U.A.E. deal as key to the U.S. staying ahead of China in the AI race (Read more at MSN).

UAE president meets OpenAI CEO to discuss AI collaboration

The UAE, a major oil exporter, is building one of the world’s largest AI data centers and launching a new Arabic-language AI model. It has also been looking to leverage its strong relations with the United States to secure access to AI technology (Read more at Investing).

U.S., Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt propose roadmap for peace in Sudan

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of the four nations — known as the “Quad” — called for an immediate and lasting halt to the fighting, along with a nine-month transitional process to establish a civilian-led government (Read more at Radiotamazuj).

UN body finds US and UAE responsible for Afghan refugee's arbitrary detention

A U.N. body has found that the United States and the United Arab Emirates are jointly responsible for holding an Afghan man in arbitrary detention in Abu Dhabi for over two years in a case rights groups say is emblematic of thousands of others. The man, a former police force colonel who had worked with U.S. forces and received threats from the Islamist Taliban movement, was evacuated with his family during the hurried U.S. exit from Afghanistan in 2021 under former President Joe Biden (Read more at Al-Monitor).

US Commerce Department affirms anti-dumping duties against UAE and Trukey

The determinations cover $2.9 billion in imports from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Türkiye, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam, the Commerce Department said in a statement (Read more at Daily Sabah).

US officials do not want to sell advanced AI chips to company run by UAE spy chief

The UAE’s bid to buy hundreds of thousands of advanced AI chips from Nvidia is being held up by US officials concerned that China could gain access to advanced American technology. Bloomberg reported earlier this month that neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE have been approved to receive the chips by the Commerce Department (Read more at Middle East Eye). 

UAE fund buys $100 million of Trump's World Liberty tokens

Aqua 1 Foundation said in a statement on Thursday its purchase of the tokens, known as $WLFI, sought to speed up the creation of a "blockchain-powered financial ecosystem" with stablecoins and tokenised traditional assets at its heart. The fund's investment and compliance teams would help World Liberty expand in South America, Europe and Asia (Read more at Yahoo Finance).

US Senate votes against Democrats’ bid to block arms sales to Qatar, UAE

The Senate voted 56-39 against considering legislation that would have blocked the $1.9 billion sale of armed drones and associated equipment to Qatar. The vote was largely along party lines, with Trump’s fellow Republicans opposing the effort to stop the sale and most Democrats backing it (Read more at Arab Weekly).

US-UAE multi-billion dollar AI data campus deal not finalised

The US officials have yet to determine the security conditions to export the advanced chips or how the agreement with the Gulf state will be enforced, leaving the deal far from resolved (Read more at New Arab).

UAE seeks U.S. trade deal to roll back Trump's steel and aluminium tariffs

 The United States and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to start negotiations for a potential bilateral trade agreement that could ease tariffs on the Gulf state's steel and aluminium industry, according to four people familiar with the matter. Emirati officials discussed the possibility of a trade agreement with U.S. counterparts during President Donald Trump's two-day visit to Abu Dhabi last month, the sources said (Read more at Reuters).

RTX Teams With UAE Partners to Produce Defense-Critical Gallium

Announced by US President Donald Trump during the last leg of his three-nation trip to the Gulf region, the agreement entails the creation of extraction and refining capabilities of gallium at EGA’s alumina refinery. It will make the UAE the world’s second-largest gallium producer behind China. Gallium is an important metal for the most advanced electronics systems but remains commercially challenging to produce (Read more at Defense Post)

Democrats look to block UAE arms sales, as Trump announces new deals

U.S. congressional Democrats on Thursday sought to block arms sales to the United Arab Emirates over its alleged involvement in Sudan's civil war and concern about cryptocurrency ties, the same day Republican President Donald Trump announced $200 billion in new deals with the Gulf State. Democrats Chris Murphy, Chris Van Hollen, Brian Schatz and Tim Kaine, and Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, introduced resolutions of disapproval in the Senate that would block three arms sales to the UAE (Read more at Reuters).

Trump announces Etihad's $14.5b deal with Boeing, GE

The agreement comes as part of more than $200 billion in trade deals between the US and the UAE. According to a White House statement, Etihad Airways has agreed to purchase 28 US-made Boeing aircraft – including the next-generation Boeing 787 and 777X models – powered by GE engines (Read more at Express Tribune).

UAE to build biggest AI campus outside US in Trump deal

The deal, which was finalised on Thursday during Trump’s visit to Abu Dhabi, is a major win for the UAE, which has been trying to balance its relations with its longtime ally the US and its largest trading partner China. It reflects the Trump administration’s confidence that the chips can be managed securely, in part by requiring data centres be managed by US companies (Read more at HumEnlish).

US weighs letting UAE buy over a million advanced Nvidia chips

This quantity far exceeds limits under Biden-era AI chip regulations. The deal, which is still being negotiated and could change, would let the UAE import 500,000 of the most advanced chips on the market each year from now to 2027, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter. While one-fifth would be set aside for the Abu Dhabi AI firm G42, the rest will go to U.S. companies building data centers in the Gulf nation (Read more at MSN)

US approves $1.4 billion weapons sale to UAE ahead of Trump’s Middle East visit

The package includes six CH-47F Chinook helicopters and related equipment valued at $1.32 billion, which the State Department said would support U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. According to officials from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, the helicopters are intended for use in search and rescue, disaster relief, humanitarian support, and counterterrorism missions (Read more at Daily Observer).

Trump family crypto venture tapped as part of $2B Emirati-backed investment deal

An Abu Dhabi state-backed investment firm is making a major $2 billion investment in a crypto business deal that could serve as a major boost for Trump family crypto venture World Liberty Financial. USD1, World Liberty Financial's so-called "stablecoin" -- a digital asset designed to maintain a stable value -- is expected to be used to complete Emirati investment firm MGX's $2 billion investment transaction in crypto exchange Binance, Witkoff said (Read more at ABC News).

Emirates executive says no impact seen from US tariffs, but airline remains vigilant

Emirates, the largest airline in the United Arab Emirates and a key contributor to its economy, is the world's biggest operator of Boeing 777 jets and one of the largest cargo carriers globally. "Things are looking quite positive. But it's something, again, you cannot ignore. There are so many uncertainties out there that we need to watch and monitor", the airline's Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer Adnan Kazim said on the sidelines of the Arabian Travel Market show in Dubai (Read more at Reuters).

Etihad Airways shrugs off US tariff turmoil, sees opportunities

Etihad had recorded strong seat occupancy levels in recent weeks despite the trade tensions, and that the volatility could even create opportunities in some instances. He expects more Europeans, for example, to take advantage of the euro’s recent gains against the dollar and the Gulf region’s dollar-pegged currencies to travel (Read more at Arabnews).

Abu Dhabi's ADNOC mulls bid for Aethon's US natgas assets, source says

Abu Dhabi state oil company ADNOC is in the early stages of considering a bid for investment firm Aethon Energy Management's U.S. natural gas assets, according to a person familiar with the matter. The upstream assets of Aethon, which primarily focus on the Haynesville shale formation in Louisiana and East Texas, constitute one of the largest privately held U.S. gas producers (Read more at Yahoo Finance).

Dubai's Mashreq to work with Goldman Sachs to cater for rich clients

Dubai-based Mashreq opens new tab has entered a partnership with Goldman Sachs Asset Management to offer discretionary investment services and tap growing demand for professionally managed portfolios in the Gulf. As the number of high-net-worth individuals, keen for sophisticated investment strategies, increases in the region, a joint statement said services resulting from the collaboration would be available from this month (Read more at Rueters).

US energy secretary to discuss security during UAE visit

Wright will also discuss previously announced investment plans by the Gulf country into the United States, the agency quoted him as saying. Wright would carry out a nearly two-week tour of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to lay the ground for a later visit by U.S. President Donald Trump (Read more at Reuters).

US imposes Iran-related sanctions on Chinese, UAE-based entities

US Treasury Secretary imposed the sanctions on those entities and individuals, accusing them of responsibility for procurement of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) components on behalf of a leading manufacturer for Iran's drone program (Read more at Global Times).

UAE aluminium exports to US jump ahead of Trump tariffs

So far in March, the UAE exported 68,560.29 metric tons of aluminium to the U.S. before the tariffs kicked in, compared to 16,124.88 metric tons in all of March 2024. The exports in March are already at a nearly two-year high on a monthly basis (Read more at MSN).

UAE to push for easier access to US chip technology

At the start of the year, the U.S. government tightened restrictions on the export of artificial intelligence chips, such as those made by Nvidia, while finding ways to block China's access to the advanced technology. Under the regulations, countries such as Japan, Britain, South Korea and the Netherlands would essentially be exempt from the rules while others, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Singapore, will face some caps (Read more at Market Screener).

Elon Musk company signs preliminary agreement on Dubai Loop project

Elon Musk's The Boring Company and Dubai's Road and Transport Authority (RTA) have signed an initial agreement to build the Dubai Loop, an underground high-speed transport network spanning 17km (Read more at Daily Maverick).

Secretary Rubio’s Travel to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE

The trip will center on freeing American and all other hostages from Hamas captivity, advancing to Phase II of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, and countering the destabilizing activities of the Iranian regime and its proxies (Read more at State Department Website).

UAE ambassador calls US approach to Gaza difficult

In remarks made during the World Government Summit in Dubai, the UAE ambassador to the US, Yousef Al-Otaiba acknowledged the complexity of the situation, stating, “But at the end of the day, we’re all in a solution-seeking business, we just don’t know where it’s going to land yet.” During the same summit, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan engaged in discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, emphasizing the importance of a two-state solution (Read more at Roya News).

OpenAI's Altman to stop in Abu Dhabi for MGX fundraising talks

He will discuss raising funds with Abu Dhabi investment group MGX. Altman's Abu Dhabi stop comes at a key moment for the ChatGPT maker as established U.S. firms face a new challenge from cheaper Chinese alternative DeepSeek. The UAE, a wealthy oil producer and longtime security partner of the U.S., is in a race to become an AI leader amid rising competition from neighbouring Qatar and Saudi Arabia (Read more at Market Screener).

Moscow Weighs Saudi Arabia, UAE as Venue for Possible Putin-Trump Summit

But some Russian diplomats and intelligence officials reportedly oppose holding the summit there due to the countries’ close ties with the U.S. military and intelligence services. While Saudi Arabia and the UAE have not joined Western sanctions or criticized Russia’s invasion, their leaders have maintained diplomatic ties with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Neither country is a member of the International Criminal Court, which issued an arrest warrant for Putin in 2023 over alleged war crimes. Putin visited both Saudi Arabia and the UAE later that year. Russia has already ruled out NATO member Turkey as a potential summit venue, citing its role in failed peace talks held in Istanbul in March 2022 (Read more at Moscow Times).

US Lawmakers Say UAE Still Sending Arms To Sudan Fighters

Two US lawmakers said Friday that the United Arab Emirates has violated its promises and kept arming Sudan's Rapid Support Forces, which Washington has accused of genocide. The two Democrats last month agreed to lift objections to a $1.2 billion arms sale to the UAE by the then administration of fellow Democrat Joe Biden after the White House said the Gulf power assured it was "not now transferring any weapons" to the paramilitary group (Read more at Barrons).

Trump announces $20B US investment by Emirati businessman

Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani promised a $20 billion investment in the booming U.S. data center industry in the coming years, he and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday at Trump's home in Palm Beach, Florida. The investment by DAMAC Properties in the United Arab Emirates is intended to highlight Trump’s personal ability to attract new money for big projects (Read more at AP).

UAE in Talks With US, Israel About Provisional Government for Post-War Gaza

The United Arab Emirates has discussed with Israel and the United States participating in a provisional administration of post-war Gaza until a reformed Palestinian Authority is able to take charge (Read more at USNews).

UAE Promises Not to Arm Sudan Paramilitaries as US Warns of Arms Export Ban

Two lawmakers said the United Arab Emirates made the promise to address their concerns and that as a result, they would drop their attempt to block $1.2 billion in arms sales to the Gulf power (Read more at Defense Post).

Trump family and allies to bask in Gulf crypto industry's euphoria

Speakers include the president-elect's son Eric and billionaire Steve Witkoff, the new White House envoy for the Middle East and co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a crypto platform launched in September that Donald Trump and his family helped form (Read more at MSN).

ََA US Asset Manager to Open Abu Dhabi Office

U.S. investment management firm Polen Capital said on Monday it has received preliminary approval for a license to operate from the ADGM, Abu Dhabi's financial centre, as it looks to capitalise on growth opportunities in the region. Rising company registrations, the appeal of sovereign wealth funds, and the relative ease of obtaining a license to operate compared with other financial centres have enhanced ADGM's attractiveness for global firms. Polen Capital, which had approximately $63 billion in assets under management as at Sept. 30, will join other global asset managers and hedge funds in setting up in the ADGM (Read more at USNews).

US clears export of advanced AI chips to UAE under Microsoft deal

The US government has approved the export of advanced artificial intelligence chips to a Microsoft-operated facility in the United Arab Emirates as part of the company's highly-scrutinized partnership with Emirati AI firm G42. The approved export license requires Microsoft to prevent access to its facility in the UAE by personnel who are from nations under U.S. arms embargoes or who are on the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security's Entity List (Read more at DecanHerald).

US lawmakers seek to halt weapons sales to UAE, citing Sudan

US Senator, Chris Van Hollen, has introduced legislation seeking to halt American weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates until the United States certifies that the UAE is not arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan. “The UAE is an important partner in the Middle East, but the United States cannot sit idly by as it aids and abets the humanitarian disaster in Sudan – we must use our leverage to try to bring this conflict to a peaceful resolution,” Van Hollen said in a statement (Read more at Middle East Monitor).

COP29: US-UAE climate-friendly farming partnership grows to $29 billion

The Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate) was launched in 2021. Under the program, governments, companies, and non-government organizations pledge funding for projects to reduce the climate impact of agriculture and to make farming more resilient to the impacts of global warming (Read more at Yahoo News).

DOJ charges an alleged Iranian murder-for-hire plot against Trump

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed the need to stop the fighting in Sudan and the need to support efforts to form a civilian government during a Friday call with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the State Department said in a statement (Read more at CNBC).

Abu Dhabi Firms Launch Investment Fund to Tokenize U.S. Treasury Bill ETFs

The fund aims to attract investors from the Gulf, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Abu Dhabi firms Realize and Neovision Wealth Management have unveiled an investment fund that acquires units of U.S. Treasury bill-focused exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and tokenizes them. Known as the Realize T-Bills Fund, the fund will acquire shares of Blackrock’s low-cost ishares and State Street’s SPDR ETFs (Read more at Bitcoin.com).

Gulf states lobby US to stop Israel from bombing Iran's oil sites

As part of their attempts to avoid being caught in the crossfire, Gulf states including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar are also refusing to let Israel fly over their airspace for any attack on Iran and have conveyed this to Washington. The moves by the Gulf states come after a diplomatic push by Tehran to persuade its Gulf neighbors to use their influence with Washington amid rising concerns Israel could target Iran's oil production facilities (Read more at Daily Sabah).

UAE is doubling down on US ties: Foreign minister

Being recognised as a major defence partner was a welcome development that mirrored a confidence in US policy, says Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed (Read more at Khaleej Times).

Biden Designates UAE as a Second Major Defense Partner After India

Moreover, Biden and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for "urgent, unhindered" humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and shared their commitment to a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in a statement after their meeting. Their joint statement touched on the Gulf state's involvement in the Sudan conflict, with both stressing that there was no military solution to the war, which has triggered the world's largest displacement crisis. They also underscored plans to deepen cooperation on space exploration, clean energy and artificial intelligence, where the UAE has launched ambitious plans drawing interest from U.S. geopolitical rival China (Read more at Ariana News).

UAE Seeks Closer AI, Tech Ties in Biden Talks

The UAE, a wealthy oil producer and longtime security partner of the U.S., is hoping for greater access to American technology to build its own advanced tech industry. G42, the state-backed technology company, has already secured a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft, partnered with chipmaker Nvidia and is using supercomputers built by Cerebras Systems. But the U.S. has been concerned about the UAE's warm relationship with China and placed restrictions on exports of some American technology to the UAE and other Middle Eastern states over concerns that it could be shared with Beijing (Read more at USNews).

UAE to ask Trump to fulfil F-35 deal if he's re-elected

If the U.S. did approve the transfer, the UAE would be only the second Middle East state after Israel to operate F-35 fighters. Trump had signed off on the deal in the final days of his presidency in 2021 but the UAE suspended talks by the end of the year, unable to agree terms with the Biden administration (Read more at AOL).

Microsoft’s deal expected to transfer key US chips and AI technology to UAE

That entails the export of crucial components of AI technology such as model weights, a crown jewel of AI systems that determine how powerful they are. There were safeguards to protect the company’s technology and prevent it from being used by Chinese entities to train AI systems. But those measures have not been made public, and some US lawmakers question whether they are adequate (Read more at Arab Weekly).

US Air Force Deploys ULTRA Glider-Like Drone in Middle East

Though the exact location was not disclosed, sharp eyes online revealed that the photos were taken from the Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. Interestingly, the base serves as the home for the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and previously housed the US Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk drones. It is believed to be connected to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (Read more at Defense Post). 

US energy secretary to visit Saudi Arabia and UAE next week

"The visit is a continuation of long-standing engagement between the US and this region," the official said. "Specifically, for the Department of Energy, it will move forward work both countries are doing on climate cooperation and to diversify the energy economy." (Read more at Yahoo Finance)

UAE, Jordan, Saudi Arabia shared intelligence with U.S. on Iranian attack

Furthermore, the Arab countries opened their airspace to fighter jets, shared radar surveillance information or, in some cases, provided their own forces to help. Jordan said it would allow U.S. and other countries' warplanes to use its airspace, even using its own aircraft to help intercept the Iranian threats (Read more at I24).

UAE behind US plan to build pier on Gaza coast

The Emirati government reportedly threatened to suspend work on an Arab–Israeli land route if aid does not reach Gaza. US plans to construct a temporary port on the shores of Gaza are reportedly the result of Emirati pressure on Washington (Read more at The Cradle).

US export ban on UAE, Turkey, others for supporting Russia's war in Ukraine

Of the new entities listed, 4 from the UAE, 16 from Turkey, 63 were from Russia, and  8 from China. The action taken one day before the 2nd anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine means banning U.S. shipments to them (Read more at USNews).