President Donald Trump's push to secure $1 trillion in deals and investments during his ongoing trip to the Middle East is being driven by two major priorities: artificial intelligence and countering China's growing influence, according to investor and entrepreneur Kevin O'Leary.
Appearing on Fox Business with host Stuart Varney, O'Leary said the United Arab Emirates and surrounding nations have become global leaders in AI and advanced medical technology, placing the U.S. in a pivotal position to strengthen ties in the region.
"President Trump. He wants to round it up to a trillion dollars worth of deals and investments in the United States. What do you think that money is going?" Varney asked.
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"Most of it's AI," O'Leary replied.
"This trip is about two things, China and AI. What people don't realize -- that region is one of the fastest growing on Earth. I'm talking about the circle of friendship here, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates."
O'Leary emphasized that the UAE now ranks third globally in AI development, behind only the United States and China.
"Who is number three in AI development right now? US, China's number two, number three, UAE. So that's why all those AI guys are there. They are so advanced," he said.
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Sharing details from a recent trip, O'Leary pointed to real-world innovations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai that he said far outpace anything currently available in the United States.
"I just got back there two days ago, from there, from Abu Dhabi in Dubai. I saw for the first time ever, a real estate development completely AI driven. We have nothing like it here. You talk about a smart home. They're way past that," he told Varney.
He also described undergoing a cutting-edge medical procedure that he said is not currently permitted in the U.S.
"The medical AI technology they have over there -- I got a procedure there we don't offer here. FDA doesn't allow it -- called EBU, where my blood was filtered and then oxygenated, then ozonated and then injected with 50 billion exosomes. I walked out of there like a teenager. I feel like a million bucks right now. I said, 'Can I do this again next week?' They said, 'No, you got to wait four more months.'"
According to O'Leary, these technological advancements demonstrate why the U.S. must form strong partnerships with nations like the UAE.
"They are so advanced by getting this whole thing worked out with these countries. We need to align with them, because they want to be in the circle of friendship on all of these metrics, whether it's going to be AI, whether it's going to be real estate, whether it's going to be development," O'Leary said.
He warned that failing to act could allow China to dominate sectors critical to the future of global commerce and security.
"We don't want China doing that. We want the U.S. forming that relationship," he concluded.
President Trump's trip to the Middle East has focused on forging deeper economic ties and securing major investment deals, particularly in the technology, energy, and infrastructure sectors.
The administration has stated that forming strong regional alliances is key to countering China's growing reach in international markets.
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