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US and Japan Court Gulf States to Secure AI Supply Chains Ahead of Pax Silica Summit

07:11 PM, 12/05/2025
US and Japan Court Gulf States to Secure AI Supply Chains Ahead of Pax Silica Summit

Gulf states are being courted by the US and Japan as the global race for artificial intelligence heightens. The UAE is among eight countries invited to the White House Pax Silica summit on Dec. 12, which Washington says aims to bolster AI supply chains and reduce China's sway over critical minerals and semiconductors. Saudi Arabia was not invited despite a recent US-Saudi agreement to build a rare-earth refinery; Japan says it will "accelerate efforts" to deepen supply-chain ties with Gulf partners including Saudi Arabia.

US and Japan Court Gulf States to Secure AI Supply Chains

Gulf countries are being actively courted by the United States and Japan as competition intensifies over the minerals and chips that underpin artificial intelligence development.

The United Arab Emirates is one of eight countries invited to the White House’s Pax Silica summit on Dec. 12. The meeting will also include representatives from Israel, South Korea and the United Kingdom, and is being promoted by Washington as an effort to strengthen AI supply chains and curb China’s influence over critical minerals and semiconductor components.

Notably, Saudi Arabia was not listed among the invitees, despite agreeing last month with the United States to establish a rare-earth refinery inside the kingdom — a deal that underscores Riyadh’s growing role in global critical-minerals supply.

Tokyo is likewise increasing outreach to Gulf producers. Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told delegates at the Future Investment Initiative’s Tokyo forum this week that Tokyo would "accelerate efforts" to promote supply-chain collaboration with countries including Saudi Arabia as it seeks to reduce dependence on Chinese sources of critical minerals.

Why This Matters

The move reflects a broader strategic push by US and allied partners to diversify sources of critical inputs for AI and advanced electronics, from rare-earth elements to semiconductors. For Gulf states, partnership offers investment, technology transfer and a stronger role in global high-tech supply chains.

"Strengthening resilient, diversified supply chains is essential to sustaining the next generation of AI and chip manufacturing," a US official said ahead of the Pax Silica summit.

What To Watch

  • Dec. 12 Pax Silica summit outcomes and any new supply-chain commitments.
  • Progress on the planned US-Saudi rare-earth refinery.
  • Tokyo’s follow-up initiatives and any bilateral agreements with Gulf partners.

These developments will shape how the free world mitigates strategic dependency on a single supplier and how Gulf producers position themselves in a fast-growing AI economy.

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