The U.S. Commerce Department has approved the export of advanced Nvidia Blackwell AI chips to companies in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. This marks a significant step in Washington’s engagement with Gulf nations’ technology ambitions.
The approvals cover up to 35,000 Nvidia GB300 Blackwell chips, valued at nearly $1 billion. The recipients are G42, Abu Dhabi’s state-backed AI powerhouse, and Humain, a Saudi government-supported AI venture.
Humain announced that it planned to purchase 600,000 Nvidia AI chips. The company along with Elon Musk’s xAI plans to jointly develop data centers in Saudi Arabia, including a 500 megawatt facility. Meanehile, G42, plans to build one of the world’s largest data center hubs in the United Arab Emirates with U.S. technology.
Strategic timing and partnerships
The chips will accelerate projects such as Stargate UAE, a 1-gigawatt AI compute cluster being developed by G42 in partnership with OpenAI, Oracle, and Nvidia. In Saudi Arabia, Humain is spearheading initiatives to integrate AI into government and private sector operations. Both countries are positioning themselves as regional AI hubs, leveraging U.S. technology to compete globally.
The announcement coincided with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington, his first since 2018. U.S. officials emphasized that the exports are subject to strict security and reporting requirements so as to safeguard U.S. technology. The move reflects Washington’s willingness to deepen AI cooperation with Gulf allies. The deal reflects strong international demand for Nvidia’s Blackwell platform, securing its role as a key driver of AI infrastructure globally.