The Impact of the Iran War on the Gulf’s Grand AI Plans
When Iranian drone strikes hit two of Amazon’s data centers in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in early March, amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, much of the media’s reflex was to declare it the end of the Gulf’s artificial intelligence (AI) ambitions. That read is misguided, and it misses why what Iran was trying to accomplish failed.
The Gulf states are betting big on artificial intelligence (AI). Their motive is simple: While hydrocarbons will remain part of the energy mix for the foreseeable future, the revenue and influence tied to crude are already beginning to diminish. AI is not just about technology; it is a hedge, and potentially a new foundation for sustaining and even increasing their power in the rapidly shifting world order.
