The U.S. and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are partnering to build in Abu Dhabi what will be the largest artificial intelligence (AI) campus outside the U.S.
The AI campus, unveiled during President Trump’s visit to the UAE, will have 5 gigawatts of capacity and eventually stretch across 10 square miles, the Commerce Department announced this week.
The data center at Qasr Al Watan will serve as a regional platform for U.S. hyperscalers, which are technology companies that provide cloud computing and data management services.
These companies will be able to offer low-latency services to nearly half of the global population residing within 2,000 miles of the UAE, according to the Commerce Department.
“By extending the world’s leading American tech stack to an important strategic partner in the region, this agreement is a major milestone in achieving President Trump’s vision for U.S. AI dominance,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement Thursday.
It is one in a flurry of AI-related deals the Trump administration signed this week with the Gulf nations. The Trump administration has made American AI dominance a key goal of its technology policy, though some have concerns these deals sidestepped national security concerns.
Under the new agreement, Abu Dahbi-based firm G42 will build a massive data center in Abu Dhabi that is expected to be the largest AI campus outside the United States.
China hawks in Congress have previously raised concerns about G42, given its reported ties to China.
As the deals were rolled out this week, Republican Rep. John Moolenaar (Mich.), the chair of the House Select Committee on China, said any AI deals need “scrutiny and verifiable guardrails.”
“The U.S. must lead the world in AI technology—but we must do it securely,” he wrote on X. “The CCP is actively seeking indirect access to our top tech.”
Ridesharing app Uber has introduced a new budget-friendly option for commuters. Earlier this week, the company unveiled “Route Share,” which allows users to share a ride with up to two other passengers along busy corridors for up to 50 percent less than the cost of UberX. “Route Share offers consistent and frequent pickup options along direct routes during morning and evening commute hours (6-10 a.m. and 4-8 …
President Trump departed the United Arab Emirates on Friday to head back to Washington, touting major investment agreements from his trip to the Middle East and telling reporters he planned to see his new grandchild upon his return. “I have a nice grandchild waiting, which I’ll see soon, but this was a fantastic moment for our country. I really believe that,” Trump told reporters moments before leaving on …
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) — A 19-year-old was accused on Thursday of threating to assassinate a public official on social platform X, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) said. On April 26, the X user by the name “Roxie Wolfie” posted a threat against a Palmetto State official, according to SLED. The post said, “I’m going to assassinate [redacted] with a gun and I’m being 100 …
Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington.
Some Democrats aren’t on board with updated stablecoin legislation in the Senate, even as their colleagues tout “major victories” following negotiations with Republicans.
Senate Banking Committee Democratic staff argued in a memo that new draft text of the GENIUS Act “paves the way for more Trump crypto corruption” and “permits Big Tech companies to issue their own stablecoins,” among other concerns.
A draft of the legislation circulating online does not include language barring President Trump or his family from participating in stablecoin business ventures, the memo noted.
They also took issue with new language aimed at restricting Big Tech’sability to launch stablecoins, arguing it doesn’t go far enough because it only establishes limits on public and not private companies.
“The draft bill still paves the way for Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and other Big Tech billionaires to pursue their own currencies – fueling conflicts of interest, undermining competition, threatening financial stability, and eroding financial privacy,” the memo reads.
The Big Tech language was one of several updates touted by crypto-friendly Democrats in a separate memo, in addition to stronger provisions on anti-money laundering, national security and consumer protection.
The contingent of crypto-friendly Democrats has previously split with some of their colleagues on the Senate Banking Committee, including the ranking member.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.), the top Democrat on the panel, has long been skeptical of the crypto industry.
However, crypto-friendly and crypto-skeptical Senate Democrats banded together last week to vote down the GENIUS Act amid a dispute with Republicans.
After nearly two weeks of negotiations, Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.) said Thursday that she believed senators had reached a deal on “final language” and expected the bill to head to the floor again Monday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) teed up the GENIUS Act for a procedural vote next week shortly after Lummis expressed confidence in the bill’s progress to The Hill.
As long as the bill maintains Republican support, it only needs seven Democrats to move forward.
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