US moves UAE into allies-only export tier, easing AI chip and military purchases

The UAE is going to get priority access to key US AI chips and technologies and will have an easier time buying military gear, satellites, civilian nuclear power tech, and some dual-use technologies from America. The catalyst: The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security shifted the UAE into what’s known as Country Group A:5 — territory otherwise reserved for close US allies, most of them Nato members, according to a Federal Register filing (pdf).

G42 and Core42 are named recipients for advanced computing gear and the US hyperscalers operating in the UAE (including Amazon, Microsoft, OpenAI, and xAI) are covered. MGX, the big UAE investors in AI, has gotten a promise of “favorable review” on chip and server licenses.

There’s fine print: G42 and Core42’s license-free access automatically expires after 270 days unless there’s an extension and end-use controls stay on, meaning nothing can be re-exported. And Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, is already objecting, saying the tech could be diverted to China.

BACKGROUND- UAE diplomats have been working toward this for years. The Emirates became a so-called “major defense partner” of the US in 2024 and then inked a USD 200 bn investment framework last year alongside a May 2025 critical-tech agreement. The filing also notes that the UAE played a “key role advancing US interests” during the ongoing US-Iran war.