The US Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) published a rule on July 14, 2026 that gives the United Arab Emirates “enhanced favorable treatment” under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), including a path for approved entities to receive advanced AI chips without an individual export license. The rule in the Federal Register took effect on July 10, 2026.
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Country group change
The rule removes the UAE from Country Groups D:3 and D:4 and adds it to Country Group A:5, the group eligible for License Exception Strategic Trade Authorization (STA). A footnote limits STA use in the UAE to approved entities listed in a new Supplement No. 8 to part 740 of the EAR.
Advanced computing still needs a license, with one exception
A license is still required to export, reexport or transfer in-country advanced computing items to or within the UAE. The covered list in the rule includes ECCNs 3A090.b and 4A090.b, the classifications for advanced AI chips and the computers that contain them, along with related software, technology and other listed items.
The exception: no license is required “when the ultimate consignee and all end users are approved entities in the UAE” listed in Supplement No. 8 and approved for those items. Approval does not override the end-use restrictions in part 744 of the EAR, according to the rule.
Who is on the approved list
| Entity | Scope in Supplement No. 8 |
|---|---|
| UAE Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces | Advanced computing items and STA |
| G42 Holding Ltd / G42 Cloud Technology LLC | Advanced computing items only; expires April 6, 2027 unless they become US companies |
| Core42 Technology Projects LLC | Advanced computing items only; expires April 6, 2027 unless it becomes a US company |
| Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, X.AI (and subsidiaries) | Advanced computing items and STA |
The eight US-headquartered companies are named as Amazon.com, Inc.; Apple, Inc.; Google LLC; Meta Platforms, Inc.; Microsoft Corporation; OpenAI Group PBC; Oracle Corporation; and X.AI LLC.
Other provisions
The rule sets out a 30-day advisory opinion process for entities that want approved status. BIS also states that it “intends to favorably review export license applications involving the UAE-headquartered company MGX, for the export of semiconductors and servers to the UAE.” The agency says it keeps an Export Control Officer presence in the UAE.
What it changes
For the listed companies, shipments of the most capable AI accelerators to their UAE facilities no longer need case-by-case licenses, provided every end user is also on the list. Everyone else shipping these items to the UAE still applies for a license. For G42 and Core42, the exception is time-limited to April 6, 2027 unless they become US companies.
The accelerators covered by these ECCNs are tracked in our AI accelerator catalog, and the data-center projects they feed are in the AI data-center tracker.
