Mackenzie Hawkins, Ben Bartenstein, and Ryan Gould of Bloomberg report that the U.S. is considering easing restrictions on Nvidia’s AI chip sales to the United Arab Emirates, with President Trump potentially announcing progress on a bilateral tech deal during his May trip to the region. Though no final decision has been made, talks are gaining momentum within the White House and the Commerce Department. The move comes as the UAE commits $1.4 trillion to U.S. tech investment and seeks deeper access to American semiconductor technology. The U.S., which currently limits chip exports over national security concerns, may revise its AI diffusion rule to reflect changing global dynamics. They write:
The US is weighing a potential easing of restrictions on Nvidia Corp. sales to the United Arab Emirates, according to people familiar with the matter, who said President Donald Trump could announce the start of work on a bilateral chip deal during his upcoming trip to the Gulf. […]
Trump is slated to visit the UAE as part of a broader Middle East trip from May 13 to 16 — meaning he will be in the region on May 15, the date that companies are currently required to start complying with the AI diffusion rule. On that trip, the president plans to emphasize that the UAE is a natural American ally that’s made major investments in the US, according to the people. […]
In the meantime, chip shipments to the country require ongoing approvals from US officials who hold differing views on the national security implications of the UAE’s AI push.
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