In a March 20 post on X, Sheikh Tahnoon revealed that he had spoken with White House crypto and AI czar David Sacks about the growing influence of AI and the evolving role of digital assets. He particularly emphasized their investment potential at their intersection.
I explored with @davidsacks47 , the Special Advisor on AI and Crypto, the transformative effects of artificial intelligence across various sectors, the expanding role of digital currencies in reshaping financial systems, and the investment opportunities emerging at their… pic.twitter.com/BXz5ZTl5FV
— Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan (@hhtbzayed) March 20, 2025
Two days earlier, on March 18, Tahnoon attended a private dinner at the White House hosted by Trump. The U.S. president later shared on Truth Social that the meeting focused on strengthening economic and technological partnerships between the U.S. and the UAE. While details were not disclosed, Bloomberg reported that discussions likely covered energy, technology, and UAE investments in the U.S.
The Sheikh’s visit also included meetings with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on trade and technology. Additionally, Tahnoon held a video call with Elon Musk to discuss government efficiency initiatives.
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Beyond government officials, Tahnoon engaged with leading figures in the tech sector, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink. His discussions reportedly touched on the UAE’s access to semiconductor technology, particularly in light of U.S. export restrictions imposed in 2023, as well as plans to develop tech infrastructure on American soil.
One of the UAE’s major investment pushes in the U.S. is the $7 billion commitment from Tahnoon-led investment firm MGX into “Stargate”—a $500 billion private-sector initiative to develop AI data centres nationwide. Trump formally announced the project shortly after his return to the White House.
The relationship has continued to expand in 2026
A recent Financial Times analysis described Abu Dhabi’s strategy as increasingly focused on using its large pools of capital to secure positions in strategic U.S. industries, particularly AI, semiconductors and data centres. The UAE has also continued building relationships with major American technology companies.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s technology policy has made access to advanced computing power an increasingly important part of international economic diplomacy.
UAE is also trying to become part of the infrastructure behind the next generation of AI while expanding its role in global digital finance.
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