Ilan Zalayat
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and, to a more limited extent, Qatar bet on artificial intelligence as capable of replacing oil and gas in the future as a source of economic growth, regime stability, global power, and security relevance. By establishing computing infrastructure, forming partnerships with global technology giants, and developing large-scale human capital, the Gulf states aspire to control a significant share of global AI production and deployment alongside the major powers while acquiring independent capabilities.
Gulf dependence on US-made chips, alongside the growing need of the United States and China for electricity that the Gulf states can supply, places the Gulf states at the heart of the Great Power Competition for technology and energy. Alongside their advantages in capital, energy, and political concentration, Gulf ambitions in AI face environmental risks, may be undermined by Western concerns over unethical uses and the formation of an investment bubble, and could shake the sensitive internal transformation their societies are undergoing. For Israel, Gulf technological empowerment rapidly erodes historical advantages but also opens the door to cooperation—requiring a national AI strategy and substantial investment in human capital.
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