President Trump signed $200 billion UAE-US deal

President Donald Trump on Thursday (May 15) pledged to strengthen U.S. ties to the United Arab Emirates and announced deals with the Gulf state totaling over $200 billion and the two countries also agreed to deepen cooperation in artificial intelligence.

After Mr. Trump’s meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the White House said he announced deals that included a $14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 Boeing 787 and 777x aircraft powered by engines made by GE Aerospace. Etihad did not immediately respond to a request for comment. GE and Boeing did not comment.

“With the inclusion of the next-generation 777X in its fleet plan, the investment deepens the longstanding commercial aviation partnership between the UAE and the United States, fueling American manufacturing, driving exports,” the White House said.

The U.S. Commerce Department said the two countries also agreed to establish a “U.S.-UAE AI Acceleration Partnership” framework and Mr. Trump and Sheikh Mohamed attended the unveiling of a new 5GW AI campus, which would be the largest outside the United States.

Such a long-coveted deal is a major win for the UAE, which has been trying to balance its relations with its longtime ally the U.S. and its largest trading partner China. The UAE, a major oil producer, has been spending billions of dollars in a push to become a global AI player. But its ties to China had limited access to U.S. chips under former President Joe Biden.

The AI agreement “includes the UAE committing to invest in, build, or finance U.S. data centers that are at least as large and as powerful as those in the UAE,” the White House said.

“The agreement also contains historic commitments by the UAE to further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of U.S.-origin technology,” it added.