Shifting Sands: UAE's Business Evolution Amid US Uncertainty

Forbes

6 hours ago

Forced or organically, the world continues to evolve beyond the United States. It's not the United States is less important – it's just that our constant policy swings from Republican to Democrat Administration's and back have pushed the rest of the world to plan for a less US-centric world, to develop their own markets and trade partnerships, and invest in the industries of the future.
At the recent Make it in the Emirates conference in Abu Dhabi, the ambivalence of the world towards the United States was on clear display. On the one hand, UAE officials – from government leaders to investment funds and corporate leaders, were bullish on the United States after the successful visit by President Trump's to the region a few weeks ago. The UAE announced a $10 billion collaboration on artificial intelligence with the United States - officially to build modern AI chips and create joint research facilities. In reality, the UAE will be building data centers for US companies, subsidizing the energy costs of AI, and will receive tech transfer in return. But both sides hope that it leads to greater research collaboration down the line.
On the other hand, the 500 exhibitors at the event – manufacturers of everything from autos to food products, were not talking about US markets. They were talking about expansion towards Asia – (South Asia, East Asia and Australia), and towards Eastern Europe, Turkey and the Central Asian republics. The most common refrain was that the United States might changes the rules in the middle of the game – and that's if they even get visas to do business.
Financiers line up to support UAE Manufacturing
Alongside manufacturers, the banking and financial sectors had a strong presence, including home-grown fintech's providing a range of services to consumers and business. These were not just government-backed entities, but also consumer-facing fintechs, vendor financing arms and family offices.
An interesting startup that has been rapidly growing in the UAE is amana, a fintech company with over 350,000 users and rapid recent growth. Founded in 2022 by Zaid Aboujeh and Karim Farra, a Wharton MBA and YPO member, amana is an online platform for trading stocks, crypto and other assets. When US tariffs were announced, traders flocked to its site to quickly adjust their portfolios; benefiting from the ability to balance their portfolios across multiple assets, including crypto, in one platform – an opportunity not available historically to many in the region. With uncertainty in the mainstream economy, it's not a surprise that crypto trading has been a key growth driver this year as well. amana has over 450 coins available for trading and investing - with 68% of amana's active traders engaging in crypto alongside other assets, while 20% trade only crypto.
In a region that has long limited access to capital to the connected, elite and certain national groups– amana and others are democratizing market access and providing services for a rapidly growing financial ecosystem. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other countries in the region have two advantages that fintech's like amana can take advantage of – a strong digital public infrastructure where most residents are connected electronically, and a large population from South Asia that is very comfortable with online banking and fintech services. Beyond that, amana says that 20% of its usage last year came from Lebanon, and future growth will come from large, emerging markets in the region, including Egypt, Bahrain, Qatar and Jordan.
The Founders of amana
There are other signs that the UAE and other nations are clearly taking advantage of US policy fluctuations to build their own competitive advantages. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have both greatly expanded their free trade zones to attract businesses from other nations hit by the Trump tariffs. If a company can legitimately establish itself in the UAE, it can bypass harsh Trump tariffs and access UAE government-backed financing for business creation, expansion and manufacturing. For most businesses seeking access to global markets, this is really a win-win.
As immigration policies tighten in the United States, many highly skilled professionals are exploring opportunities in the Gulf. Countries like the UAE are actively attracting global talent through strategic initiatives such as their AI partnership with the US – designed to support advanced research in state-of-the-art facilities. For many researchers, especially in nearby hubs like Bangalore, the Gulf offers both proximity and access to cutting-edge infrastructure without the barriers often faced when seeking entry into the US.
The growth of startups like amana, the investments in the manufacturing and tech sectors, alongside free trade zones and an improved financial ecosystem suggest a country, and region, committed to growth. Similar growth is occurring across the GCC, including Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The implications for the United States may not be much at first glance. The Trump Administration has backed off on tariffs just as fast as its announced them in many cases. As a result, the UAE and other nations may not have time to launch all of these efforts to take advantage of US policy – there may be a completely different policy in place in 4 months and certainly again in 3 years. But that uncertainty makes the investment all the more critical for them and concerning to the United States.