The first-ever visit by a president of the United Arab Emirates to the White House took place this week as Israel\u2019s war in Gaza expanded to Lebanon. That war, however, was not at the top of the agenda in talks with US officials. <\/p>\n
US President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and UAE president Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed instead prioritized their discussions around a set of technological and economic deals between both countries centered around artificial intelligence (AI) and the infrastructure needed to develop the growing technology. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe UAE is a nation of trailblazers that\u2019s always looking to the future \u2013 always making big bets\u2026 In fact, it\u2019s a cornerstone of our growing cooperation, in AI, in clean energy, in space, in investing in infrastructure to connect regions,\u201d Biden said in the Oval Office on Monday alongside the UAE president. \u201cToday we honor that legacy in carrying our relationship forward as the UAE will become a major defense partner with the United States.\u201d <\/p>\n
Sheikh Mohammed responded that the UAE has \u201ca firm and unwavering commitment to work with the USA for the sake of deepening the strategic partnership between our two nations\u201d <\/p>\n
The White House said the leaders charted \u201can ambitious course\u201d to lead global efforts to develop and expand advanced technologies. <\/p>\n
The UAE president\u2019s visit to the US \u201cwas mostly and almost exclusively about the future,\u201d Gargash said. \u201cIt was about the economy. It\u2019s about technology, and about the UAE bid to partner in what is the technology of the future\u2026The AI component was \u201cfront and center in the discussion.\u201d <\/p>\n
The UAE is the second-largest Arab economy, a top oil exporter and major investor in the US economy. One of the US\u2019 closest allies in the Middle East and a major recipient of US arms, it hosts 5,000 US military personnel. It now seeks to significantly upgrade the \u201c360-degree relationship,\u201d according to Gargash, through an ambitious plan to become a regional technology and AI hub as the US moves to protect its national security and tech industries from Chinese influence. <\/p>\n
The deal, struck under the Donald Trump administration, was seen as a reward for the UAE\u2019s normalization of relations with Israel in 2020. But the Biden administration repeatedly pushed the UAE to drop China\u2019s Huawei Technologies Co. from its telecommunications network, and claimed that the technology could pose a security risk for its weapons systems. <\/p>\n
Wary of being deprived of US technology, the UAE has since abandoned closer cooperation with China in the field of AI and semiconductors in favor of the US. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi\u2019s state-backed technology firm G42 announced it had agreed not to engage with Chinese companies for advanced technology. The Financial Times reported earlier this year that the company had off-loaded all investments in China as a pledge to its commitment for its \u201cUS partners.\u201d <\/p>\n
In Washington on Tuesday, Sheikh Mohamed met with the chief executives of chipmaker NVIDIA, asset manager Blackrock and Microsoft \u2013 three US firms that recently partnered with MGX, an Abu Dhabi-owned firm seeking to raise $100 billion to fund AI infrastructure, AI-enabled technology, and semiconductors in the US and beyond. <\/p>\n
Despite the focus on technology, discussions with US officials did include the war in Gaza and Lebanon, Gargash said, adding that de-escalation is the \u201cmain goal.\u201d <\/p>\n
Beyond providing humanitarian aid in Gaza, Abu Dhabi has so far refused to contribute to the rebuilding of the territory without a clear commitment by Israel for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very complicated,\u201d Gargash, who previously served as the UAE\u2019s minister of state for foreign affairs, said. \u201cWe think that maximalist views are hindering the sort of consensus on a day after (the war). And we\u2019re worried without a clear day after, any attempt really at the ceasefire might appear futile.\u201d <\/p>\n
Still, he defended the UAE\u2019s decision to normalize relations with Israel and said the agreement is a \u201ccomponent of a future Middle East that is based on compromise\u201d and one that could provide a \u201cdifferent architecture\u201d for the region. <\/p>\n
He said the two pillars of the UAE\u2019s policy are stability and prosperity. \u201cI think we also have a responsibility towards regional stability and regional prosperity\u2026.You can\u2019t prosper alone. You have to prosper collectively.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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