US Approves Export of Nvidia’s Latest AI Chips to UAE and Saudi Arabia

Up to 35,000 Blackwell Chips Approved for Sale to G42 and Humain

The Donald Trump administration has allowed Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to make large-scale purchases of Nvidia’s latest artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductors.

U.S. President Donald Trump (right) and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman shake hands during a bilateral meeting at the White House on the 18th (local time). Photo by AP

On the 19th (local time), the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that it had approved the export of advanced U.S.-made semiconductors to G42, based in the UAE, and Humain, based in Saudi Arabia. These two AI companies have been authorized to purchase semiconductors with computing power equivalent to 35,000 units of Nvidia’s Blackwell chips.

In this regard, the Department of Commerce stated that the decision was in line with AI partnership agreements the United States has signed separately with Saudi Arabia and the UAE, adding, “This will promote the continued U.S. dominance in AI and global technological leadership.” Previously, President Trump had promised to export advanced AI semiconductors to the UAE in return for large-scale AI-related investments from the UAE during his Middle East visit in May.

The previous Biden administration had set a cap on the number of U.S.-made AI semiconductors that most countries, including the UAE, could purchase, in order to reduce the risk of these chips being diverted to countries such as China. President Trump has now lifted these restrictions first for U.S. allies in the Middle East.

Saudi company Humain, which received approval in this round, plans to collaborate with xAI and Nvidia to build a 500-megawatt data center in Saudi Arabia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.