The U.S. loosened export controls on the United Arab Emirates on Friday, making it easier to export Nvidia AI chips, military equipment, commercial satellites and spacecraft. The UAE government and approved companies will now be able to access advanced computing items license-free, according to a posting in the Federal Register. UAE companies G42 and Core42 and U.S. companies operating in the country, including Amazon, Apple, and xAI, are among those that no longer need licenses for AI chips and servers. The Commerce Department said the U.S. had worked with the UAE for decades to counter Iran and its proxies, and that the UAE played a key role during Operation Epic Fury, referring to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran that began in February. The UAE was the largest U.S. trading partner in the Middle East, with foreign direct investment valued at over $1 trillion. The Commerce Department moved the UAE into a country grouping that allows more license exceptions for military and dual-use items, making it the only country in the group not a member of multilateral export control regimes. The change also allows license-free access for certain exports involved in oil and gas production and civil nuclear power generation. The department plans to "favorably review" export license applications for chips and servers to UAE company MGX.