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.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) has reported that both TSMC and Samsung Electronics are in discussions about plans to build large semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the coming years. These plants would...

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