David Sacks, the White House’s point person for crypto and AI, was among several officials from the Trump administration who recently engaged with representatives from the United Arab Emirates to explore emerging technologies and discuss the UAE’s plans for potentially boosting its investments in the United States.
In a post on March 20, Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security advisor and brother of the president, indicated he had conversations with Sacks regarding the influence of AI, “the growing role of digital currencies,” and “the investment potential at their intersection.”
President Trump entertained Tahnoon at the White House for dinner on March 18, and the following day shared on his social media that they had deliberated on “ways for our nations to enhance our partnership for the advancement of our economic and technological futures.”
Tahnoon (left) and Trump (right) in the Oval Office.
While specific details of Tahnoon’s discussions remain undisclosed, reports indicated that he intended to address topics such as technology, energy, and enhancing the UAE’s investment in the US.
Tahnoon’s X account features numerous posts documenting his meetings with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent about trade and investment between the two countries, as well as a video call with White House budget advisor Elon Musk to discuss government systems.
He also conversed about AI with technology leaders, including Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
David Sacks (left) meets Tahnoon (right) to discuss crypto and AI.
Reports suggested that Tahnoon aimed to explore how the UAE could obtain easier access to computer chips following export restrictions imposed by the Biden administration in 2023, as well as to outline plans for developing tech infrastructure on US soil.
Tahnoon serves as chair of MGX, an investment firm that allegedly intends to invest $7 billion into a $500 billion privately-led initiative called “Stargate,” aimed at establishing AI data centers throughout the US—an initiative Trump unveiled shortly after returning to the White House.
MGX, which recently invested $2 billion in Binance, is a minor segment of a vast $1.5 trillion empire overseen by Tahnoon, encompassing two sovereign wealth funds of the UAE, the largest bank in the country, First Abu Dhabi Bank, and the AI development firm G42.