The United States has approved the export of up to 35,000 Nvidia Blackwell artificial intelligence chips—valued at approximately US$1 billion—to leading technology firms in the Gulf, marking one of the region’s largest AI hardware acquisitions to date.
The approval enables the UAE’s G42 and Saudi Arabia’s Humain to significantly scale their next-generation computing capabilities. The companies are working closely with partners including Nvidia, OpenAI, Cisco, Oracle, and SoftBank to build advanced AI infrastructure across the region.
According to initial figures, the export license covers 35,000 high-performance Blackwell chips. Humain has separately outlined plans for an even more aggressive expansion, targeting the purchase of up to 600,000 Nvidia AI chips as part of its long-term roadmap.
Analysts say the U.S. decision represents a pivotal moment in Gulf digital strategy. The influx of cutting-edge AI hardware is expected to accelerate regional data-center growth, strengthen sovereign AI development, and advance the Gulf’s broader ambition to become a global hub for advanced technologies.
