Trump promotes US tech for Middle East’s post-oil era

Trump’s tech-powered diplomacy in the Middle East represents a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, leveraging America’s AI dominance to secure economic deals worth $600 billion. By bringing tech titans like Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang, and Arvind Krishna to Saudi Arabia, Trump is positioning AI technologies as strategic assets in international relations while helping Gulf nations advance their economic diversification beyond oil. The trip also signals a dramatic reversal from Biden’s approach to Saudi Arabia, potentially reshaping America’s role in the region’s technological future.

The big picture: Trump’s administration is using America’s AI technology leadership as a diplomatic tool to strengthen ties with Gulf states while generating massive business deals for U.S. companies.

• The president brought nearly three dozen CEOs from America’s leading companies to Saudi Arabia, resulting in $600 billion worth of agreements focused on AI infrastructure.
• This approach represents a deliberate departure from the Biden administration’s policies, including the recent decision to rescind Biden-era restrictions on selling advanced AI chips to countries in the region.

Key deals: Saudi Arabia’s AI startup Humain has emerged as the central partner for multiple American technology giants seeking to establish their presence in the kingdom.

• Nvidia announced a strategic partnership with Humain to build “AI factories” with up to 500 megawatts capacity and will sell several hundred thousand advanced GPUs over five years.
• AMD unveiled a $10 billion deal with Humain to build AI infrastructure, while Qualcomm signed an agreement to deliver advanced AI data centers.

Behind the numbers: Saudi Arabia’s push for AI dominance is part of the kingdom’s broader Vision 2030 strategy to diversify its economy beyond oil dependence.

• The Public Investment Fund, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, established AI startup Humain on Monday specifically to position the country as a “globally competitive AI hub.”
• These investments align with Saudi Arabia’s “giga-projects” initiatives designed to modernize the country and reduce its economic reliance on oil exports.

What they’re saying: The White House framed the agreements as transformative for U.S.-Saudi relations in an official statement.

• “The deals celebrated today are historic and transformative for both countries and represent a new golden era of partnership between the United States and Saudi Arabia,” the administration declared.

Where we go from here: Trump’s Middle East tour will continue with visits to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which have their own technological ambitions.

• The diplomatic reset with Saudi Arabia marks a significant policy reversal from Biden’s promise to make the kingdom a “pariah” following the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
• The deals suggest Trump’s administration views technological partnerships as a cornerstone of its Middle East strategy moving forward.