New Delhi, Nov. 4 -- Microsoft's $15 billion bet on the UAE's AI future marks a turning point in US export policy, intertwining commerce, diplomacy, and control over the world's most powerful chips.

ABU DHABI - In a move that crystallizes the evolving circuitry of global technology and diplomacy, Microsoft announced this week a multiyear plan to pour more than $15 billion into the United Arab Emirates, a bold expansion of cloud and artificial-intelligence infrastructure that was made possible, officials say, after the company secured US export licenses to ship advanced Nvidia AI chips to the Gulf state. The commitment underscores the UAE's ambition, anchored by its UAE's global investment strategy, to position itself as a pivotal hub for...