The U.S. Department of Commerce took steps Friday to loosen export controls on the United Arab Emirates, making it simpler to send military items, certain commercial satellites, and spacecraft to the Gulf nation, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
Under the updated rules, the UAE government and pre-approved companies will now be able to obtain advanced computing items without needing a license. UAE-based firms G42 and Core42, along with U.S. companies doing business in the country — including Amazon, Apple, and xAI — are among those that will no longer be required to secure licenses for AI chips and servers.
The Commerce Department explained that the favorable treatment stems from a long-standing security relationship. The U.S. and UAE have worked together for decades to counter Iran and groups it supports, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.
“More recently, the UAE played a key role advancing U.S. interests during Operation Epic Fury,” the Federal Register posting stated, referring to U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran that began in February.
Officials also pointed to the UAE’s economic significance, noting it is the largest U.S. trading partner in the Middle East, with UAE foreign direct investment in the United States valued at more than $1 trillion.
The new regulation moves the UAE into a country grouping that permits broader license exceptions for military and dual-use items under Commerce Department oversight. Notably, the UAE will be the only nation in that group that does not belong to multilateral export control regimes — a distinction that sets it apart from the NATO members and other allies also included in the grouping.
Other countries in the region, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, are not part of that same group.
