The WSJ reports that these projects could be worth more than $100 billion and the proposed plants would be amongst the most complex anywhere in the world – comparable to the advanced facilities that are now only found in Taiwan.
While neither company has confirmed anything TSMC did say that they were always open to “constructive discussion on ways to promote development of the semiconductor industry.”
Officials from Samsung have visited UAE and discussed the idea, according to the WSJ, but Samsung has not commented on any possible decision about locating a facility in the UAE – a move that would face considerable technical difficulties.
Reports suggest that such a facility would be funded by the UAE, with a central role for the sovereign development vehicle Mubadala which is based in Abu Dhabi.
While such a project could help to increase chip production globally it could find itself coming up against US concerns over both the UAE and other Middle Eastern countries, that have proven to be a lucrative back-door into China for advanced US AI technology.
