President Donald Trump has announced over $200 billion in new commercial deals between the United States and the United Arab Emirates during his visit to Abu Dhabi on Thursday, May 16, 2025[1][2]. This marks the first U.S. presidential visit to the UAE in 17 years and concludes Trump's Gulf tour, which has secured a total of over $2 trillion in investment agreements across the region[1][4].
Major Investment Highlights
The agreements with the UAE span multiple sectors, with significant emphasis on artificial intelligence, aviation, energy, and industrial development[3]. Notable deals include:
Aviation and Manufacturing
Etihad Airways has committed $14.5 billion to invest in 28 American-manufactured aircraft from Boeing and GE Aerospace, strengthening the U.S. aviation manufacturing sector[2][5].
Energy and Industrial Development
Emirates Global Aluminum is investing $4 billion to develop a primary aluminum smelter project in Oklahoma, which is expected to be one of the first new aluminum smelters in the United States in nearly 50 years[2][5].
ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources will partner with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company on an expansive oil and natural gas production project valued at approximately $60 billion. The White House reports this initiative aims to lower energy costs and create skilled jobs in both countries[5].
Artificial Intelligence Campus
A centerpiece of the UAE deals is a massive 10-square-mile AI campus in Abu Dhabi, featuring 5-gigawatt capacity for AI data centers. This facility, described as the largest AI campus outside the United States, will be constructed by G42, the UAE-based AI firm, in collaboration with several American companies[3].
According to reports, the deal may include allowing the UAE to import up to 500,000 of Nvidia's high-performance H100 GPUs annually through 2027, with one-fifth allocated to G42[3].
Broader Regional Investment
The UAE agreements build upon Trump's earlier stops in his Gulf tour, where he secured $600 billion in deals with Saudi Arabia and approximately $243 billion with Qatar. The White House has framed these agreements as serving mutual interests – providing foreign investment to revitalize American manufacturing while helping Gulf states accelerate their economic diversification beyond oil dependency[1][3][4].
Diplomatic Recognition
During the visit, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan presented Trump with the Order of Zayed, the country's highest civilian honor. The UAE leader praised Trump for significantly strengthening the economic partnership between the two nations, particularly in energy and artificial intelligence sectors[5].
The historic agreements represent a substantial boost to U.S.-UAE relations and potentially create thousands of jobs across various American industries while supporting the UAE's economic diversification goals.
