Understanding Sovereign AI and why governments are racing to build it

A new phrase is quietly reshaping how governments, businesses and even militaries think about the future of power: Sovereign AI. The term is appearing in policy papers, billion-dollar infrastructure deals, and national strategies from Washington to Beijing and increasingly across the Gulf. But what does it actually mean? Is Sovereign AI about governments owning data and AI power? Is it about controlling data centres and chips? Or is it something larger – control over the intelligence systems that will run future economies, influence societies and shape geopolitics for decades to come? In this episode of Business Extra, host Salim Essaid speaks to Ahmed Abdulla, co-founder of the Sovereign AI orchestration platform Haimaker.ai, which is based in San Francisco. Mr Abdulla brings experience from Silicon Valley chip start-ups, Neom and global consulting to help explain what Sovereign AI really means, why it is becoming a national priority, and whether we are entering an era in which AI becomes a defining feature of economic and political power.

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Understanding Sovereign AI and why governments are racing to build it is an episode from Business Extra by The National News.

This episode is 21:52 long.

This episode was published on Feb 11, 2026.

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