UAE’s big bet: What Sam Altman’s meeting with President Sheikh Mohamed could unlock

On September 27, 2025, UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in Abu Dhabi to discuss expanding AI cooperation. The talks focused on advancing AI research, exploring real-world applications, and building infrastructure, including Arabic-language models. This meeting signals the UAE's strategic push to become a global AI hub through partnerships and investment.