There’s no shortage of sand, but chip plants are thirsty for something even more precious: water Despite finding itself at the center of the United States' trade war with China, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is quickly establishing itself as a hotbed for AI development and its aspirations could soon extend to semiconductor manufacturing.

Discussions are still in the early stages, reported the WSJ, and any deal could be bogged down by technical challenges.

TSMC and Samsung are reportedly in early discussions to establish chip manufacturing facilities in the United Arab Emirates. According to the Wall Street Journal, these potential projects, valued at over $100 billion,