Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, left, G42 chief executive Peng Xiao, centre, and Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: G42 via LinkedIn
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, left, G42 chief executive Peng Xiao, centre, and Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: G42 via LinkedIn
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, left, G42 chief executive Peng Xiao, centre, and Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: G42 via LinkedIn
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, left, G42 chief executive Peng Xiao, centre, and Meta founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. Photo: G42 via Lin

Sheikh Tahnoon meets Mark Zuckerberg and G42 chief as UAE-US AI talks accelerate


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Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, met G42 chief executive Peng Xiao and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, according to a social media post.

It was not immediately clear where the meeting took place, but it follows Sheikh Tahnoon’s recent meetings with US tech leaders such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Jensen Huang and Satya Nadella, as well as high-ranking US officials from the current administration.

“Mark [Zuckerberg] and Sheikh Tahnoon had a great discussion about AI, robotics and the future of technology,” a Meta spokesperson told The National.

In a post shared on LinkedIn, a G42 representative said: “This week, as Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed, Chairman, and Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, met with Alex Karp, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Jensen Huang, Larry Fink, Mark Zuckerberg, and Satya Nadella and other global leaders, it felt like the age of AI is beginning to move from aspiration to reality.

“What started as a belief – that AI could be built differently, for everyone, is now become a movement. One that refuses to leave the Global South behind. One that sees AI not as a race to the top, but an intelligence grid that connects us all; responsibly, equitably, and at scale.”

The US announced a $1.4 trillion investment framework by the UAE into its related AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy and manufacturing, according to the White House.

The announcement of the framework – which will be over a period of 10 years – followed a series of meetings between US and UAE officials, led by Sheikh Tahnoon.

Last week, US President Donald Trump hailed the UAE as a crucial partner in securing peace in the Middle East and said the key discussions – held as part of Sheikh Tahnoon’s official visit – centred on efforts to strengthen co-operation in the economy and technology, highlighting the “long-standing ties and bonds of friendship” between the nations.

The UAE, the Arab world’s second-largest economy, has made significant investments in recent years in artificial intelligence.

Last year, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion investment in UAE's AI and cloud company G42. Microsoft also opened its first Middle East AI for Good Lab in the UAE in Abu Dhabi that same year.

The UAE has also created several large language models, including Jais. Jais Chat, a mobile app iteration of Jais, also made a major impact in the country, as it uses both Arabic and English.

ODI FIXTURE SCHEDULE

First ODI, October 22
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Second ODI, October 25
Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Third ODI, October 29
Venue TBC

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
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Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Cairo Statement

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2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred

3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC  

4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.

5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.

6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hili 2: Unesco World Heritage site

The site is part of the Hili archaeological park in Al Ain. Excavations there have proved the existence of the earliest known agricultural communities in modern-day UAE. Some date to the Bronze Age but Hili 2 is an Iron Age site. The Iron Age witnessed the development of the falaj, a network of channels that funnelled water from natural springs in the area. Wells allowed settlements to be established, but falaj meant they could grow and thrive. Unesco, the UN's cultural body, awarded Al Ain's sites - including Hili 2 - world heritage status in 2011. Now the most recent dig at the site has revealed even more about the skilled people that lived and worked there.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

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Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday. 

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow. 

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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Leaderboard

64 - Gavin Green (MAL), Graeme McDowell (NIR)

65 - Henrik Stenson (SWE), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Adri Arnaus (ESP), Victor Perez (FRA), Jhonattan Vegas (VEN)

66 - Phil Mickelson (USA), Tom Lewis (ENG), Andy Sullivan (ENG), Ross Fisher (ENG), Aaron Rai (ENG), Ryan Fox (NZL)

67 - Dustin Johnson (USA), Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (ESP), Lucas Herbert (AUS), Francesco Laporta (ITA), Joost Luiten (NED), Soren Kjeldsen (DEN), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)

68 - Alexander Bjork (SWE), Matthieu Pavon (FRA), Adrian Meronk (POL), David Howell (ENG), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR), Sean Crocker (USA), Scott Hend (AUS), Justin Harding (RSA), Jazz Janewattananond (THA), Shubhankar Sharma (IND), Renato Paratore (ITA)

ESSENTIALS

The flights

Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.

The hotels

Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.

The tours

A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages. 

The biog

Favourite colour: Brown

Favourite Movie: Resident Evil

Hobbies: Painting, Cooking, Imitating Voices

Favourite food: Pizza

Trivia: Was the voice of three characters in the Emirati animation, Shaabiyat Al Cartoon

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo

Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 6-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km

Price: Dh133,900

On sale: now 

Name: Peter Dicce

Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics

Favourite sport: soccer

Favourite team: Bayern Munich

Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer

Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates 

 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Updated: March 24, 2025, 9:08 AM`