U.S.-UAE Business Council Highlights New Era Of Cooperation Following Trump's Visit To The UAE

The U.S.-UAE Business Council has highlighted the significance of U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to the UAE on May 15–16, 2025. This visit is seen as a crucial step in enhancing cross-border cooperation, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence, advanced technology, energy, and defence. The event marks a new chapter in the strategic relationship between the two countries.

Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-UAE Business Council, emphasised the robust foundation of economic and investment partnerships between the UAE and the United States. He noted that these partnerships have reached unprecedented levels, with over 1,800 American companies operating across various sectors within the UAE. This collaboration reflects a long-term vision aimed at strengthening economic ties.

Sebright highlighted that UAE investments in the U.S. are focused on next-generation sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, energy, and advanced manufacturing. These investments aim to reshape manufacturing and innovation infrastructure in the United States while creating tens of thousands of high-quality jobs for Americans.

Among notable projects is MGX's partnership with Microsoft, Nvidia, and xAI to establish advanced AI infrastructure in the U.S., under the "AI Infrastructure Partnership." This initiative aims to mobilise up to $100 billion and create approximately 20,000 new jobs. Additionally, an agreement between ADQ and Energy Capital Partners will see over $25 billion invested in power generation projects supporting data centres, contributing to over 5,000 new jobs.

ADNOC has also expanded its presence in the U.S. market through investments in natural gas and low-carbon energy infrastructure alongside ExxonMobil and OMV. ADNOC's acquisitions of major companies like Covestro and NOVA Chemicals further strengthen its position by operating large-scale industrial facilities across several states.

Aluminium Sector Revitalisation

Emirates Global Aluminium plans to establish a new aluminium smelter in the U.S., marking the first such development in 35 years. Sebright described this initiative as transformative for revitalising the American aluminium sector while generating thousands of new jobs.

Sebright stressed that UAE investments are not new; they have been a reliable partner with cumulative investments exceeding $1 trillion before announcing a new strategic framework. Entities like Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Mubadala, Masdar, Group 42, and MGX lead these strategic investments.

Stargate Project Ambitions

The Stargate project announced in January 2025 highlights shared ambitions with plans to invest $500 billion in U.S. AI infrastructure potentially creating 100,000 jobs. Companies like OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle are involved in this significant endeavour.

Masdar's clean energy investments include large-scale wind projects in Texas and New Mexico and solar initiatives in California that have already created over 2,000 jobs. GlobalFoundries—Mubadala’s largest individual investment—has generated 3,000 direct and 15,000 indirect jobs in New York State.

Long-Term Commitments

Sebright referenced long-term Emirati investments such as Gulftainer’s operations at Port Canaveral in Florida and DAMAC’s $20 billion commitment to developing AI-enabled data centres in the U.S. Strategic partnerships include a $1.5 billion Microsoft-G42 collaboration and a $544 million joint venture with Du for building a data centre in the UAE.

This extensive collaboration between the UAE and United States underscores their commitment to fostering economic growth through strategic investments across various sectors.

With inputs from WAM