MoneyWeek profiles how Sheikh Tahnoon sits at the heart of the UAE's AI boom.

Sheikh Tahnoon is the younger brother of the UAE's ruler, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ). He combines his role as the emirates' top money man and dealmaker, running the UAE's largest sovereign wealth fund and the First Abu Dhabi Bank, with a vital position as head of national security. He is perhaps the individual who has done most to further his country's relations with the US.

Twenty years ago, the United Arab Emirates was "at the centre of a political firestorm" when a bid to buy up six major US seaports, through the Dubai-owned logistics company DP World, triggered uproar, according to the *Financial Times*. Alleging that the oil-rich Gulf state was a financing hub for al-Qaeda, some in Congress warned of a dire threat to US security if the UAE was allowed to run strategic ports. DP World was forced to back out of the sale. The episode also proved "a watershed moment for the UAE – and its relationship with America".