Meta is signaling a deeper push into the Gulf’s AI race with a high-profile hire with close ties to the region. The company tapped former Trump adviser Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair, responsible for overseeing a planned $600 billion infrastructure buildout over the next decade. The move suggests Meta could follow peers such as Google, Nvidia, and OpenAI in striking AI partnerships and investments across the Gulf. Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are investing heavily in AI infrastructure and applications, with Abu Dhabi pouring more than $148 billion into the technology since the beginning of 2024.
Born in Cairo and a veteran of the Bush administration and Goldman Sachs, Powell McCormick is well known to the rulers and top wealth managers in the region. She’s a frequent speaker on the conference circuit, maintaining relations without showing favor during various Gulf spats. Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Powell McCormick will have a particular focus on “partnering with governments and sovereigns to build, deploy, invest in, and finance Meta’s AI and infrastructure.”