Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have formally joined the Pax Silica initiative, a strategic US-led framework designed to secure technology supply chains for semiconductors, AI infrastructure, and critical minerals. Often referred to as the "Silicon Declaration," the pact marks a fundamental shift for Gulf states from oil-based economies to "silicon-based" ones, leveraging their immense capital and energy reserves to host global AI compute hubs.

Key Developments in 2026

• Official Membership: Qatar signed the declaration on January 12, 2026, followed by the UAE on January 15, 2026.

• India’s Accession: Moving beyond a "potential participant," India formally joined Pax Silica on February 20, 2026, during the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. India is viewed as a "talent and engineering powerhouse" for the coalition, contributing to 2-nanometer chip design and critical mineral processing.

• The Pax Silica Investor Consortium: A new pillar of the initiative was launched in March 2026, involving sovereign wealth funds like Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala, Japan’s SoftBank, and Singapore’s Temasek, collectively managing over $1 trillion to ensure infrastructure stays in "trusted hands.