TSMC and Samsung are considering building large-scale wafer fabs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) over the next few years, a move that could boost AI investment and development in the Middle East, according to The Wall Street Journal. Executives from both TSMC and Samsung recently visited the UAE to discuss the possibility of establishing advanced chip manufacturing plants in the country, insiders told the WSJ. The UAE government is likely to provide funding for the construction plan, which will be led by Mubadala Investment Company, a state-owned investment and asset management firm that serves as one of the sovereign wealth funds of the Abu Dhabi government. The proposed factories in the UAE could have a combined cost exceeding $100 billion, the report added. [The Wall Street Journal]