Experts Weigh Risks of U.S.-Gulf Alliances in Global AI Race

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2026 — Policy experts are increasingly debating whether partnerships between the United States and Gulf states could become a critical part of the global artificial intelligence infrastructure race.

Even as security and export control concerns continue to complicate those relationships, Georgia Adamson, a technology fellow at the Institute for Progress, said Gulf nations are attempting to position themselves as indispensable partners in the AI ecosystem.

“If the Gulf has capital, they have energy, they have some value elsewhere,” Adamson said, noting that the region’s ability to support large-scale data center construction could make it attractive for AI development.