While the world watched Donald Trump’s high-profile visit to the Middle East alongside Silicon Valley’s biggest names, only a few would have anticipated that one of the most consequential tech deals would emerge – positioning the Gulf states as a new epicenter for AI. The US President’s trip to Saudi Arabia and the UAE culminated with two-way investments worth billions of dollars. Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as a regional AI leader by developing Arabic-language models to capture the underserved Middle Eastern market, while its National Strategy for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA) aims to transform the kingdom into a global AI powerhouse by 2030 through targeted investments, regulatory reforms, and large-scale talent development.
Trump’s Gulf AI gambit to reshape the Middle East tech landscape | Lowy Institute
