Throughout history, hegemony has always been determined by who controls the core resource of the era. In the age of industrialization, that resource was oil. Oil powered factories, factories produced goods, and goods created wealth. Nations went to war to secure energy, and the global order was reorganized around the flow of oil. Today, that order is quietly—but unmistakably—changing. A resource more important than oil has emerged. That resource is data. Data is not merely a

The true driver of the AI era is electricity, not just chips. AI requires enormous power, cooling, and water infrastructure—resources that only a few regions can reliably provide. The Middle East, rich in energy and eager to adopt AI, has become a critical strategic zone. Trump’s recent visit signals an effort to export a U.S.-led AI ecosystem while cutting off China’s access to energy and demand. As China faces limits in tech, power, and markets, the U.S. is building a conta