G42 Weighs Selling Majority Stake to US Companies to Secure AI Chip Access

Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company G42 is reportedly considering selling a majority stake to American companies as it looks for a way to maintain access to advanced AI chips beyond 2027. People familiar with the discussions said executives have held exploratory talks about bringing in a U.S. company as a controlling shareholder. No final decision has been made, and the discussions remain preliminary.

The potential restructuring is linked to U.S. rules governing exports of advanced AI semiconductors. G42 was recently permitted to purchase cutting-edge chips without a U.S. licence until around April 2027, but continued access could require changes to the company’s corporate structure. Executives are therefore examining several options, including a majority U.S. ownership arrangement or the creation of a new American-based entity.

G42 is one of the UAE’s most important AI and technology companies, with operations spanning cloud computing, data centres and AI applications. The company already has prominent American investors, including Microsoft and private-equity firm Silver Lake, alongside Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company. G42 is also developing major AI infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, including a planned UAE-U.S. AI campus that is expected to rely on advanced computing hardware.

The possible ownership change comes as G42 also explores raising billions of dollars from investors to support its expansion. Bloomberg previously reported that the company was discussing potential financing with investors, although the size and structure of any capital raise had not been finalized. The combination of new funding and potential U.S. ownership could significantly reshape the company’s international investment structure.

The situation highlights how access to advanced AI chips has become closely connected to geopolitics and corporate ownership. For G42, securing reliable access to high-performance computing hardware is important to its plans for expanding AI and data-centre infrastructure. If the company ultimately brings a U.S. majority owner into its structure, it would represent a major shift for one of Abu Dhabi’s flagship technology companies. For now, however, the reported discussions remain exploratory and no transaction has been announced.