By John Rossomando
In a rapidly evolving global tech landscape, the United States is forging a bold path to maintain its edge in artificial intelligence (AI) through strategic partnerships in the Gulf. The recent U.S.UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, announced following President Donald Trump’s visit to the Gulf in May 2025, has sparked debate about the merits of building AI infrastructure abroad. Critics, like U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, argue that such investments divert highpaying tech jobs from American soil. However, a closer look reveals that these partnerships, particularly in Dubai and Riyadh, are not only economically sound but also geopolitically crucial for securing U.S. influence in the global AI race.
The cornerstone of this initiative is the U.S.UAE AI Acceleration Partnership, which includes the ambitious Stargate UAE project in Abu Dhabi. This AI data center, set to be one of the world’s largest, will feature a 1gigawatt cluster, with the first 200 megawatts expected to go live in 2026. The project is part of the broader OpenAI for Countries initiative, designed to position the UAE as a regional AI hub serving the Global South. Crucially, the partnership includes a reciprocal commitment: the UAE will fund a comparable expansion of AI infrastructure in the United States, ensuring that American workers and companies benefit directly. As David Sacks, Trump’s AI czar, emphasized, the majority of the compute power in the UAE facility will be owned and operated by American cloud companies, reinforcing U.S. technological dominance.
Saudi Arabia is following a parallel path with HUMAIN, a flagship AI venture backed by the kingdom’s Public Investment Fund. HUMAIN aims to serve as a regional and global AI platform, leveraging partnerships with U.S. tech giants like Nvidia and Qualcomm. By focusing on model training, inference, and AI services, HUMAIN is positioning Saudi Arabia as a backend for AI innovation across Asia and Africa. These initiatives align the Gulf’s ambitions with the U.S. tech ecosystem, creating a network of AI infrastructure that amplifies American influence while meeting the growing demand for AI capabilities in emerging markets.
The strategic rationale for these partnerships is clear. The Gulf’s geographic position, wealth, and ambition make it an ideal partner for scaling AI infrastructure. By collaborating with the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the United States can establish a foothold in regions critical to the Global South, where demand for AI services is surging. This approach not only secures economic benefits but also counters China’s growing influence in the global AI race. If the U.S. were to reject these partnerships, it would risk ceding ground to Chinese tech firms eager to fill the vacuum.
Critics like Khanna raise valid concerns about prioritizing domestic job creation. However, the reciprocal investment model ensures that the U.S. gains as much, if not more, than it gives. The UAE’s commitment to funding AI infrastructure in the U.S. will create highpaying jobs and bolster American innovation. Moreover, by embedding U.S. companies in Gulfbased projects, the partnership guarantees that American technology remains at the core of these global AI ecosystems.
The Gulf’s emergence as an AI hub also aligns with broader U.S. foreign policy goals. Strengthening ties with the UAE and Saudi Arabia enhances regional stability and fosters a U.S.aligned model of AI development that prioritizes openness and collaboration. This stands in stark contrast to China’s more centralized and statecontrolled approach. By building data centers in Dubai and Riyadh, the U.S. is not only investing in technology but also in a vision of global AI leadership that counters authoritarian alternatives.
In conclusion, the U.S. should embrace partnerships like the U.S.UAE AI Acceleration Partnership and Saudi Arabia’s HUMAIN initiative. These projects are not about outsourcing American jobs but about strategically positioning the U.S. as the backbone of global AI innovation. By leveraging the Gulf’s resources and ambition, the United States can secure its technological and geopolitical dominance in an increasingly competitive world. Turning away from such opportunities would be a misstep, leaving the door open for China to shape the future of AI. Instead, building data centers in Dubai and Riyadh is a forwardthinking move that strengthens America’s position at the forefront of the AI revolution.
