Trump secures $200 billion in deals with UAE; Burj Khalifa lit up in American flag colours
Abu Dhabi: US President Trump announced over $200 billion in commercial deals between the United States and the United Arab Emirates--bringing the total of investment agreements in the Gulf region to over $2 trillion.
Trump arrived in Abu Dhabi on Thursday, following earlier visits to Saudi Arabia and Qatar as part of his tour of the Middle East. He was received at Abu Dhabi International Airport by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
As per the White House, Boeing and GE Aerospace secured a USD 14.5 billion commitment from Etihad Airways to invest in 28 American-made Boeing 787 and 777X aircraft powered by GE engines. With the inclusion of the next-generation 777X in its fleet plan, the investment deepens the longstanding commercial aviation partnership between the UAE and the United States, fueling American manufacturing, driving exports, and supporting 60,000 US jobs.
In Oklahoma, Emirates Global Aluminium will invest to develop a USD 4 billion primary aluminum smelter project, one of the first new aluminum smelters in America in 45 years, that will create a thousand jobs in America, strengthen critical mineral supply chains, and double current US production capacity.
ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum, and EOG Resources are partnering with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) for expanded oil and natural gas production valued at USD 60 billion that will help lower energy costs and create hundreds of skilled jobs in both countries.
Holtec International and IHC Industrial Holding Company (IHC) are entering cooperation to build a fleet of Holtec's SMR-300 small modular reactors, starting at the Palisades site in Michigan. This agreement includes a commitment of $10 billion, and an additional USD 20 billion for fleet projects, helping to revitalize American nuclear energy infrastructure, strengthen domestic energy security, and create high-skilled jobs in engineering, construction, and advanced manufacturing across the United States.
"Today's deals strengthen the US-UAE investment and trade relationship and build on the UAE's landmark commitment to a 10-year, USD 1.4 trillion investment framework that will contribute to the US boom in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, quantum computing, biotechnology, and manufacturing. The US and UAE signed an AI agreement today that supports the $1.4 trillion investment commitment secured in March. This includes the UAE committing to invest in, build, or finance US data centers that are at least as large and as powerful as those in the UAE," the White House in a statement said.
It added, "The agreement also contains historic commitments by the UAE to further align their national security regulations with the United States, including strong protections to prevent the diversion of US-origin technology. The US-UAE AI agreement strengthens bilateral investment partnerships, ensuring US security interests and dominance in AI while extending the American tech stack to an important strategic partner."
Meanwhile, Burj Khalifa was illuminated in the colours of the American flag, and streets throughout Dubai were also decorated with both US and UAE flags.
Sharing a post on X, the Government of Dubai Media Office said, "Burj Khalifa is illuminated in the colours of the American flag to mark the visit of US President @realDonaldTrump to the United Arab Emirates."
In another post, it said, "Dubai's streets are decorated with the colours of the United Arab Emirates and United States flags, marking the visit of US President Donald Trump to the country."
The White House also shared an image of the Burj Khalifa illuminated in the colours of the American flag.
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