Newsletter: FutureVerse

AI reshapes Saudi ties with Washington

The Saudi crown prince's White House visit could prove pivotal to the kingdom’s AI ambitions.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Trump Org, Saudi partner Dar Global launch crypto scheme for Maldives resort

The deal marks a notable fusion of the Trump family’s traditional real estate business and its expanding foothold in the crypto world, and arrives a day before Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince arrives in Washington.

Saudi Arabia

Analysis

Deals and data: Saudi Crown Prince brings growing AI ambitions on US visit

At the White House, the kingdom's de facto ruler is set to discuss strategic priorities ranging from defense ties to Syria’s reconstruction and beyond — but the visit will also underscore how the US-Saudi partnership is being rewritten for the age of artificial intelligence.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

UAE deals with Anduril, Palantir deepen US tech footprint in Gulf defense

A new generation of Silicon Valley-linked US defense players are strengthening Gulf ties, representing a challenge to America’s legacy weapons giants in the region.

United Arab Emirates

Newsletter: FutureVerse

Gulf megaprojects meet AI

From Syria sanctions to Gulf AI, COP30, and more.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

Meet the Silicon Valley-linked AI startup targeting Gulf’s costly inefficiencies 

Bilal Abu-Ghazaleh, formerly a director at Silicon Valley’s Scale AI, shares how he spotted an opportunity to automate complex workflows that could reduce inefficiencies potentially worth over $10 billion across the Gulf's airports, ports, construction and the energy sector.

United Arab Emirates

Microsoft to invest $7.9 billion in UAE to scale AI with new Nvidia chips

Microsoft plans to spend over $5.5 billion on cloud and AI infrastructure and another $2.4 billion on operational expenses and local hiring in the United Arab Emirates through 2029.

United Arab Emirates

Humain’s $3B deal sets tone as Riyadh’s FII summit spotlights AI, private credit

At the 2025 edition of Saudi Arabia's flagship investment conference known as “Davos in the Desert," AI is stealing the spotlight from megaprojects.

Saudi Arabia

US, UAE strike $1.8B critical mineral venture amid China tensions and Gulf rivalry 

United Arab Emirates

Analysis

Gulf investors emerge as key players in US social media giants TikTok, Snap, X

With UAE tech investor MGX set to take a stake in TikTok's US operations, investors from the Middle East could cement their role in America's social media landscape.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech

PayPal bets $100M as Middle East’s Gulf fintech giants amplify competition

The move from the US payments giant comes amid a flurry of activity that has further cemented the Gulf’s fintech sector on the map for global investors — including Saudi Arabia's Tamara, which recently secured a $2.4 billion financing deal.

United Arab Emirates

Newsletter: FutureVerse

UAE partners with Nvidia on AI push

Nvidia is expanding in the Middle East with a new AI and robotics lab in Abu Dhabi, as Gulf states look to the US chipmaker to drive their tech ambitions amid US-China tensions.

By Samuel Wendel

In Washington, DC, reporting on regional business and tech