Sheikh Tahnoon meets Mark Zuckerberg and G42 chief as UAE-US AI talks accelerate

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, met G42 chief executive Peng Xiao and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to a social media post.

It was not immediately clear where the meeting took place, but it follows Sheikh Tahnoon’s recent meetings with US tech leaders such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Jensen Huang and Satya Nadella, as well as high-ranking US officials from the current administration.

“Mark [Zuckerberg] and Sheikh Tahnoon had a great discussion about AI, robotics and the future of technology,” a Meta spokesperson told The National.

In a post shared on LinkedIn, a G42 representative said: “This week, as Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Chairman, and Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, met with Alex Karp, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Jensen Huang, Larry Fink, Mark Zuckerberg, and Satya Nadella and other global leaders, it felt like the age of AI is beginning to move from aspiration to reality.

“What started as a belief – that AI could be built differently, for everyone, is now become a movement. One that refuses to leave the Global South behind. One that sees AI not as a race to the top, but an intelligence grid that connects us all; responsibly, equitably, and at scale.”

The US announced a $1.4 trillion investment framework by the UAE into its related AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing, according to the White House.

The announcement of the framework – which will be over a period of 10 years – followed a series of meetings between US and UAE officials, led by Sheikh Tahnoon.

Last week, US President Donald Trump hailed the UAE as a crucial partner in securing peace in the Middle East and said the key discussions – held as part of Sheikh Tahnoon’s official visit – centred on efforts to strengthen co-operation in the economy and technology, highlighting the “long-standing ties and bonds of friendship” between the nations.

The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has made significant investments in recent years in artificial intelligence.

Last year, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion investment in UAE's AI and cloud company G42. Microsoft also opened its first Middle East AI for Good Lab in the UAE in Abu Dhabi that same year.

The UAE has also created several large language models, including Jais. Jais Chat, a mobile app iteration of Jais, also made a major impact in the country, as it uses both Arabic and English.