UAE’s Al Olama hails tech ties with Musk in Instagram post

The UAE government’s AI chief posted a photo on Instagram today of a meeting he had with Elon Musk and said his country wants to continue working closely with the tech billionaire.

“I had a great exchange with Elon Musk discussing​ the next frontier of @SpaceX and space exploration to the transformative progress of Tesla with Optimus and @boringcompany’s urban innovation,” Omar Al Olama, UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, wrote in the post.

Al Olama’s message comes as SpaceX is in the middle of a massive fundraising push tied to its planned IPO that could raise about $75 billion at a valuation approaching $1.75 trillion. Musk has been courting investors and holding analyst briefings this week to build demand.

“I reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to fostering global partnerships that turn the science fiction of today into the reality of tomorrow,” Al Olama wrote.

In the Instagram post, Al Olama doesn’t say where or when the meeting took place. Musk’s last public appearance with the cabinet minister was in December when the SpaceX founder and CEO met in Abu Dhabi with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed.