US government expands technological access for UAE to include high-end AI chips, satellites, and military technology.

The US has softened export controls on UAE purchases of America's most advanced technologies. The UAE government and approved companies no longer require licenses to buy semiconductor processors, select commercial satellites, military equipment, and dual-use items for civil nuclear power—a privilege no other Middle Eastern state, including Israel or Saudi Arabia, currently enjoys.

Abu Dhabi has lobbied for this policy change for years, but previous administrations resisted, fearing that closely guarded technologies underpinning Nvidia's Blackwell chips could leak to China if the UAE gained access.

On Friday, the Department of Commerce attributed the shift to the UAE's support for the US military campaign against Iran and its position as America's largest Middle East trading partner. The UAE has pledged to invest more than $1 trillion in the United States.