President Trump kicking off the first major international trip of his second term today, expected to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, as top tech CEOs also head to the region for an investor conference.

Our dear Drabosa digs into that for today's tech check. Morning, Dee.

Hey, good morning, Carl. Chips are the new diplomatic currency, so it only makes sense that tech and AI are also in tow this week, including

some of the biggest names in the space, Jensen Huang, Ruth Porak, Alex Karp. They are on the agenda

for the Saudi U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh. You've also got Sam Altman, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg,

also reportedly will be there. Now, why? For Gulf Nations, this is a chance to secure the chips and partnerships needed to get into the AI power race,

bring the next computing revolution to their own borders.

For U.S. Tech and for the Trump administration, it's access to sovereign wealth, cheap energy,

and a new front in the AI trade just as China is catching up and just as export bans

shut out, NVIDIA and others.

Now put another way, the Middle East could open the door to multi-billion dollar deals in a region

that is eager to replace Beijing as the next big buyer, and that could be a catalyst for the

trade itself.

This is also a return to familiar territory.

During Trump's first term, he forged close ties with Gulf leaders, celebrated Saudi investments.

He's now bringing that same approach to AI with chips as the new golden ticket. Now, Gulf states,

they have already offered the president trillions of dollars in promised investments,

600 billion from Saudi Arabia over the next four years,

1.4 trillion from the UAE over the next decade, including in AI and semis.

But that access does come with the price.

The Biden administration warned that loosening controls could shift AI infrastructure and influence

outside U.S. allies.

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