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Trump Wins Saudi Pledge to Boost US Investment to $1 Trillion

William Attardi on November 18, 2025

Mohammed bin Salman pledged to increase Saudi investment to $1 trillion. The original $600 billion plan envisioned expanded Saudi trade and investment over four years, spanning energy, infrastructure, technology and defense cooperation. Recent deals linked to the pledge already include huge orders for U.S. weapons and advanced artificial-intelligence hardware, as Saudi-backed firms sign agreements with chipmakers and cloud providers to build data centers and AI hubs.  The money is expected to land in U.S. factories, energy projects, construction, and cutting-edge tech. Trump Wins Saudi Pledge to Boost US Investment to $1 Trillion | Newsmax.com

GE Vernova Announces $14.2B in Energy Deals in Saudi Arabia

William Attardi on June 5, 2025

 GE Vernova Inc. (NYSE: GEV) announced initiatives worth up to $14.2 billion for its world class energy equipment technology and services to support power generation and grid stability projects. The announcements include up to $2 billion in backlog or on a reservation agreement as of the first quarter of 2025, with future contracts and memorandums of understanding (MOUs) for agreements spanning across the next four years. The initiatives are expected to play a strong role in supporting the Kingdom in achieving its energy goals under Saudi Vision 2030 and transition to net zero by 2060. GE Vernova Announces $14.2B in Energy Deals in Saudi Arabia – electrifiED

Big Tech’s Next AI Bet Is A ‘Watershed Moment,’ Analyst Says — And a $1 Trillion Opportunity by Shannon Carroll

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

At the core of this strategy is a growing alliance between Gulf governments and U.S. technology companies. The Middle East could rapidly become the next major frontier for artificial intelligence, and U.S. tech giants are lining up to cash in. Nvidia, Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL), Palantir (PLTR), and Tesla (TSLA) are all positioning themselves in the region to be key players in what could be full-throttle AI buildout. In what Wedbush analysts are calling a “watershed moment” for Big Tech, recent developments in the region mean the AI boom might be rapidly shifting its center of gravity. A wave of investment in AI infrastructure across Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is signaling an acceleration in U.S. tech companies’ expansion abroad. According to a Monday note from analysts led by Dan Ives, the region is poised to become one of the most important global markets for AI over the next decade, potentially adding over $1 trillion.  Big Tech’s next AI bet is a ‘watershed moment,’ analyst says — and a $1 trillion opportunity

US, Saudi Arabia Agree on Energy & Critical Mineral Deals

William Attardi on May 19, 2025

The MOU also highlights the intent to collaborate in various fields including petroleum refining and refined products trading, electricity generation technologies and energy storage systems, and artificial intelligence projects to accelerate deployment of energy-driven innovations. The two sides also outlined areas for cooperation on civil nuclear energy, including safety, security, and nonproliferation programs; vocational training and workforce development; U.S. Generation III+ advanced large reactor technologies and small modular reactors; uranium exploration, mining, and milling; and safe and secure nuclear waste disposal.  The signings coincided with President Trump’s announcement that he secured a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia.  US, Saudi Arabia Agree on Energy & Critical Mineral Deals – electrifiED

That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind – The last time human beings headed moonward was on the Apollo 17 flight that launched Dec. 7, 1972—before any of the Artemis II crew members were born. Today’s crew will not land on the moon—they won’t even orbit the moon. But they will whip around the lunar far side, on a shakedown mission test-flying the Orion spacecraft. This is essential preparatory work for achieving NASA’s bigger lunar goals. Next year there will be another test flight in low Earth orbit during the flight of Artemis III, followed by up to two moon landings by Artemis IV and V in 2028, and annual landings thereafter. Unlike the Apollo program, Artemis aims not just for the so-called flags-and-footprints model of short, one- to three-day stays on the moon, but for a long-term presence at a long-term moon base in the south lunar pole, where deposits of ice can provide drinkable water, breathable oxygen, and oxygen-hydrogen rocket fuel. Very much like the Apollo program, Artemis finds itself in a closely watched moon race, not with the old Soviet Union this time, but with China, which has announced its intention to have astronauts on the moon by 2030. The U.S. is not going it alone this time, however. While Apollo was an entirely American enterprise, Artemis flies under the flag of 60 countries, signatories to the Artemis Accords, an international pact whose members vow to support the peaceful exploration of space and contribute money, modules, and astronauts to the Artemis cause. Artemis II Has Launched. Here’s Everything You Need to Know