Huawei is taking early steps to push its AI chips overseas — and Washington is watching. The Chinese tech giant is quietly offering small volumes of its older-generation Ascend 910B chips to potential customers in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Thailand, and Malaysia, in what looks like a soft entry into markets long dominated by Nvidia (NVDA, Financial) and AMD. While deals haven't closed, conversations are underway — with Saudi's SDAIA reportedly in advanced talks. Huawei is also offering cloud-based access to its more powerful 910C chips, though those aren't available for export due to limited supply. The move signals a possible strategy to seed interest while ramping up domestic manufacturing.
But Huawei's ability to deliver at scale remains a big question mark. A senior Trump official recently estimated Huawei can only produce about 200,000 AI chips this year, nearly all of which are earmarked for Chinese buyers. That figure doesn't include the 2.9 million 910B dies Huawei previously sourced from TSMC, which could eventually support broader export ambitions. Still, early efforts in Malaysia and Thailand remain murky. Although Malaysia once touted a 3,000-chip rollout by 2026, both Huawei and local officials have since downplayed the plan. And in the UAE, early outreach to institutions like the Mohamed bin Zayed University of AI hasn't generated much interest.
Meanwhile, the US response is caught in its own holding pattern. Two months after President Trump promised to overhaul Biden-era chip export rules, no final policy has emerged. A draft rule could tighten controls on AI chip sales to Malaysia and Thailand, but internal debates are delaying action. Some officials argue the US should move faster — fearing Huawei might lock in relationships before Washington gives the green light to Nvidia and AMD deals. Others believe the US still holds the upper hand, pointing to Huawei's small volumes and older chips as signs the West can afford to wait. Either way, investors tracking the AI race across emerging markets may want to keep a close eye on what comes next — because both the technology and the geopolitics are moving fast.
