How the authoritarian Middle East became the capital of Silicon Valley

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses how the authoritarian Middle East, particularly the Gulf states, has become a hub for Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and their partnerships, with the Biden administration brokering these ties as a bulwark against China.

🙋 Q&A

[01] How the authoritarian Middle East became the capital of Silicon Valley

1. What is the key point of the article?

• The article discusses how Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, including artificial intelligence entrepreneur Andrew Feldman, have been drawn to the Middle East, particularly the Gulf states, due to the promise of partnership and funding.
• The Biden administration has played a role in brokering these ties between the tech industry and the authoritarian regimes of the Middle East, as a way to counter China's influence.
• This has led to a generation of founders quietly making pilgrimages to the sovereign wealth funds of the Gulf states.

[02] The Biden administration's role in brokering tech industry ties to the Middle East

1. How has the Biden administration facilitated the tech industry's ties to the Middle East?

• The Biden administration has brokered the tech industry's ties to the Middle East as a way to counter China's influence in the region.
• This has helped spur a generation of founders who are quietly making pilgrimages to the sovereign wealth funds of the Gulf states.