Elon Musk introduces Starlink to Saudi Arabia as U.S. oligarchs accompany Trump in the Middle East

Elon Musk introduced Starlink in Saudi Arabia amidst significant talks with U.S. oligarchs and Donald Trump.

: Elon Musk unveiled that Starlink has obtained approval for use in Saudi Arabia's aviation and maritime sectors. This announcement was made during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, which also hosted Donald Trump and prominent U.S. business leaders like Alex Karp and Larry Fink. Musk hinted at the potential introduction of his robotaxi technology to Saudi Arabia, notwithstanding previous unfulfilled promises from his ventures like The Boring Company. Meanwhile, Trump discussed large-scale commercial deals with several big tech firms and Saudi Arabia's substantial military equipment purchase, signifying ongoing deep U.S.-Saudi relations.

Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and Tesla, announced approval for his Starlink satellite internet in Saudi Arabia, marking a strategic expansion into the Middle Eastern market, particularly for aviation and maritime sectors. This development was revealed during the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum in Riyadh, where Musk noted the future potential for autonomous vehicle technology, like robotaxis, tailored for this region. According to Musk, such innovations could redefine transportation in Saudi Arabia, a vision aligned with his history of futuristic transportation ideas.

However, Musk's record on delivering these technological promises has been met with skepticism. His company, The Boring Company, has fallen short on past commitments to revolutionize transportation with concepts like the Hyperloop. Instead of high-speed travel systems, Musk's contributions have resulted in low-speed tunnels, exemplified by the Las Vegas tunnel carrying Teslas. Despite this, Musk remains optimistic, likening the Las Vegas transit experience to 'teleporting' — a description not widely shared by users.

Meanwhile, the forum also coincided with former U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, which emphasized the growing commercial ties between the U.S. and the kingdom. Trump highlighted significant commercial agreements involving tech giants such as Amazon, Oracle, and Nvidia. This collaboration includes a major sale of 18,000 Nvidia AI chips to Saudi Arabia, underlining the strategic importance of technology in the bilateral relationship.

Another highlight from the forum was Trump's announcement of Saudi Arabia purchasing $600 billion of military equipment. This deal reinforces the existing military and political ties between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, which have often been subjects of international scrutiny due to past human rights violations attributed to Saudi leadership, specifically Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

The event attracted numerous prominent U.S. business leaders, including CEOs Alex Karp of Palantir, Larry Fink of BlackRock, and Andy Jassy of Amazon. Key discussions centered around leveraging technology and investment to foster economic growth in the Middle East, with an emphasis on AI and robotics, as noted by Musk's vision of a future populated by tens of billions of humanoid robots. This depicts a broader global trend towards automation and technological integration into everyday life, a narrative promoted by Musk and his peers.

Sources: Gizmodo, CNBC

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