Qatar joins US 'Pax Silica' as it races to catch up with Gulf neighbours on AI

Qatar has joined a US-led program called "Pax Silica" to secure artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains, affirming the principle that economic security is national security. This move makes Qatar the first Gulf state to join the coalition, which includes other close US allies like Israel, Japan, and the UK. The agreement underscores a US strategy to leverage its wealthy Gulf partners to support its bid for dominance in the AI industry. Qatar, which has been slower to invest in AI than neighbors like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is now racing to catch up by establishing new investment firms and partnering on global AI infrastructure.