Data centers in the UAE were, after all, some of the first targets of Iranian drones. To recap: In May 2025, Trump announced deals with the Gulf states to boost their AI ambitions, approving the construction of some of the largest AI data centers in the world in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. These deals were always risky: The Gulf states have close ties to China and a track record of technology leakage and mass surveillance. In February, Trump’s military campaign against Iran put the entire business model behind the Gulf AI deals in jeopardy. For all its claims to put America first, the Trump administration has given the Emiratis the deal of the century.