Senator questions Commerce Department over UAE’s expanded AI chip access following investments in Trump-linked crypto ventures.
Senator Elizabeth Warren has demanded answers from the US Commerce Department regarding its policy toward the United Arab Emirates after the UAE invested $500 million in President Donald Trump’s family-backed cryptocurrency firm, World Liberty Financial. The inquiry follows the department’s decision to reclassify the UAE as Country Group A:5, granting it greater access to license-free exports of AI chips.
The investments include a $500 million stake in World Liberty Financial by an Abu Dhabi entity linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and a $2 billion settlement by a UAE-linked firm using World Liberty’s stablecoin. Warren’s letter raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest and national security implications.
The Commerce Department’s policy shift comes amid broader scrutiny of US export controls on advanced semiconductors, particularly those destined for regions with strategic ties to American adversaries.