Rox eyes new energy storage platform + UAE, Washington follow up on AI ties

Rox wagers on the Gulf’s storage gap

Rox Capital Group, a Dubai-based asset manager focused on sustainability, is in talks with potential partners for a new energy-storage platform targeting utility-scale and commercial projects in the UAE and Oman, founder Robin Antony tells EnterpriseAM UAE. Rox’s plans will focus on storage technologies ranging from lithium-ion, flow, and sodium-ion batteries to longer-duration options such as thermal, gravity, and compressed-air storage, according to a press release. The plan includes jointly submitting bids for upcoming storage tenders. Depending on the project, Rox could invest directly, co-develop with partners, or broker contracts between technology providers, investors, and project owners, Antony said.

The pitch is that Gulf projects need a mix of technologies: Summer heat raises cooling needs for batteries, and solar-heavy grids need storage that lasts longer after dark, Antony argues. Demand is building: Masdar and EWEC are developing a USD 6.1 bn Abu Dhabi plant that pairs 5.2 GW of solar with 19 GWh of storage, and Masdar’s Ibri III project is Oman’s first solar-plus-storage plant.

Still no specifics: Rox hasn’t named partners, projects, or target tenders, and Antony declined to give a capital target or timeline.

Following up on A:5

(xNF>AF) A UAE delegation was in Washington last week pushing for deeper tech ties, including follow-through on the US decision to ease export controls on the UAE. The trip was led by Omran Sharaf, assistant minister for advanced science and technology at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, according to a ministry statement. The delegation met White House science and technology adviser Michael Kratsios and Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth Jacob Helberg. Talks covered AI, cybersecurity, space, quantum computing, and post-quantum encryption. With the Commerce Department, the agenda covered trade facilitation and export management.

BACKGROUND- Washington moved the UAE into Country Group A:5, its allies-only export tier, in July. That lets G42 and other approved firms buy advanced chips without a license, as we’ve reported. But G42’s access lapses in April 2027 unless it’s extended, and G42 is reportedly in exploratory talks about selling a majority stake to US firms to secure access beyond that date. The two countries are working together on a 5 GW UAE-US AI campus in Abu Dhabi, anchored by the 1 GW Stargate UAE cluster.