After the latest giant deal: The Trump family is swimming in UAE money
The UAE has successfully normalized its investments across the United States, with a significant portion now directed toward the family of US President Donald Trump.
About twenty years ago, the UAE found itself at the heart of an unprecedented political storm in the United States. An attempt by the oil-rich country to acquire six major American seaports through the Dubai-based transport company "DP World" sparked great outrage among lawmakers in Washington. The fact that two of the hijackers in the September 11 attacks came from the UAE caused many in Congress to warn of a serious security threat, defining the country as a "persistent terrorist problem." That crisis, which forced the company to withdraw from the deal, ultimately turned out to be a watershed moment in the relations between the two countries.
According to a comprehensive investigation published in the "Financial Times," in the Abu Dhabi of those days, the then-Crown Prince and current President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (also known as MBZ), gathered his advisors for an emergency meeting. His conclusion was sharp: the Americans simply do not understand the UAE, and it is time to fix that. Two decades later, it seems the correction has been completed with resounding success. The UAE is currently perceived by politicians and military commanders in the United States as one of America's most capable allies in the Middle East, and has even earned the flattering nickname "Little Sparta."
Wealth of a fund
Beyond the tight military ties, Abu Dhabi is actively leveraging the 1.7 trillion dollars it manages in sovereign wealth funds and government-backed companies to invest heavily in the United States, and no less so, in the family of President Donald Trump. Congress, which is currently controlled by Republicans, is no longer so alarmed by investments in areas sensitive to America's national security. For example, Trump recently granted the Emiratis access to some of the most advanced computer chips in the world, just months after the investment fund "MGX," led by National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, acquired a 49 percent stake in the Trump family's crypto business, "World Liberty Financial."
Port of Fujairah in the UAE after being attacked by an Iranian drone (Photo: Arab networks)
The Emirati charm offensive in Washington relies not only on institutional money, but also on smart diplomacy. Since the arrival of Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba in the American capital in 2008, the UAE has invested over 270 million dollars in lobbying. It is a well-oiled public relations machine that fuels prominent think tanks, hosts international conferences, and leads a strategy of presenting the country as a liberal and progressive oasis in the desert. The crowning achievement of this diplomacy was undoubtedly the signing of the "Abraham Accords" in 2020, a move that completely changed the American perception and opened many doors for them.
Future is in artificial intelligence
The ambition of the UAE President is not only to diversify the economy beyond reliance on oil money, but also to become a global artificial intelligence powerhouse and emerge from the shadow of Saudi Arabia. Giant funds like Mubadala have signed broad partnerships with technology companies, created joint ventures with giants like OpenAI, and even acquired 15 percent of TikTok's operations in the United States. A former senior official in the Biden administration, quoted in the "Financial Times," noted that the American technology industry is today linked to Emirati capital in an almost frightening way.
The unprecedented influence of the UAE in Washington allows it, it seems, to also evade sharp criticism. Despite a political and military embrace with China, accusations of arming militias in Sudan, and even functioning as "Iran's banker" for bypassing sanctions for years, official Washington continues to turn a blind eye. Even the recent war with Iran, in which the UAE found itself under fire from missiles and drones, only pushed Abu Dhabi to deepen the military and technological alliance with Washington and Jerusalem. However, figures in the Democratic Party are already warning that if they return to control Congress in the upcoming midterm elections, the UAE's days of grace in Washington could end with a wave of in-depth investigations.
