US makes it easier to export certain military items, AI chips and commercial satellites to the UAE
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The US said it had worked with the UAE for decades to counter Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- The US Department of Commerce eased export controls on the UAE, allowing easier export of military items, AI chips, commercial satellites, and advanced computing products licence-free.
- The UAE's cooperation in countering Iran and its proxies, including its role in Operation Epic Fury, influenced the US decision to grant more favourable export treatment.
- The UAE is now in a special country group with more licence exceptions, despite not being part of multilateral export control regimes, unlike other Middle Eastern countries like Israel and Saudi Arabia.
AI generated
WASHINGTON - The US Department of Commerce loosened export controls on the United Arab Emirates on July 10, making it easier to export military items, certain commercial satellites and spacecraft, according to a US government posting in the Federal Register.
The UAE government and approved companies also will now be able to access advanced computing items licence-free, the posting said.
UAE companies G42 and Core42 and US companies operating in the country, including Amazon, Apple, and xAI, are among those that no longer need licences for AI chips and servers.
In providing the more favourable treatment for certain exports to the UAE, the Commerce Department said the US had worked with the country for decades to counter Iran and its proxies, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
“More recently, the UAE played a key role advancing US interests during Operation Epic Fury,” the posting said, referring to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran that began in February.
Additionally, it noted, the UAE was the largest US trading partner in the Middle East, and that its foreign direct investment in the United States was valued at over US$1 trillion (S$1.3 trillion).
Under the new regulation, the Commerce Department moved the UAE into a country grouping that allows more licence exceptions for military and dual-use items controlled by the department.
The UAE will be the only country in the group that is not a member of multilateral export control regimes. Other countries in the grouping include NATO countries and other allies.
Other countries in the region such as Israel and Saudi Arabia are not members of that group. REUTERS