Mohammed Soliman
@soliman.bsky.social
Tech & Geopolitics & Business & EMEA. Director, Middle East Institute. Fellow @ FPRI & Third Way & Trilateral Commission. Charts & Maps. Book: West Asia (10/2025)
Just back from the Mediterranean Dialogues in Napoli, after an incredible few days discussing the AI infrastructure boom reshaping the region — from subsea cables to an emerging U.S.–EU–Gulf AI infrastructure bridge.
October 20, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Just back from the Mediterranean Dialogues in Napoli, after an incredible few days discussing the AI infrastructure boom reshaping the region — from subsea cables to an emerging U.S.–EU–Gulf AI infrastructure bridge.
“We’ve underestimated Chinese power…I think the Chinese technology, military, and economics are stronger than we think they are.”
— Nicholas Burns, former U.S. Ambassador to China
— Nicholas Burns, former U.S. Ambassador to China
October 16, 2025 at 9:33 PM
“We’ve underestimated Chinese power…I think the Chinese technology, military, and economics are stronger than we think they are.”
— Nicholas Burns, former U.S. Ambassador to China
— Nicholas Burns, former U.S. Ambassador to China
The internet we knew is disappearing. In 2020, almost everything online was written by people. Now, nearly half of it comes from AI and by next year, it could be most of it. AI made words cheap. Truth got expensive.
October 16, 2025 at 1:13 AM
The internet we knew is disappearing. In 2020, almost everything online was written by people. Now, nearly half of it comes from AI and by next year, it could be most of it. AI made words cheap. Truth got expensive.
How It Started….. How It's Going
October 14, 2025 at 6:14 PM
How It Started….. How It's Going
Each F-35 requires 418 kg of rare earths, an Arleigh Burke destroyer requires 2,600 kg, and a Virginia-class submarine requires 4,600 kg. With the majority of U.S. imports coming from China. Unprecedented crisis.
October 11, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Each F-35 requires 418 kg of rare earths, an Arleigh Burke destroyer requires 2,600 kg, and a Virginia-class submarine requires 4,600 kg. With the majority of U.S. imports coming from China. Unprecedented crisis.
OpenAI makes up around $330B of the $880B total future contract value (RPO) tied to Microsoft, Oracle, and CoreWeave, so a lot of supplier growth depends directly on OpenAI’s stability.
October 10, 2025 at 2:50 PM
OpenAI makes up around $330B of the $880B total future contract value (RPO) tied to Microsoft, Oracle, and CoreWeave, so a lot of supplier growth depends directly on OpenAI’s stability.
how money is moving around the AI ecosystem
October 8, 2025 at 3:00 PM
how money is moving around the AI ecosystem
how money is moving around the AI ecosystem
October 8, 2025 at 2:15 PM
how money is moving around the AI ecosystem
OpenAI still commands the lion’s share of traffic in the generative AI space but that grip is loosening. We’re moving toward a more pluralistic, multi-agent ecosystem.
October 4, 2025 at 2:33 PM
OpenAI still commands the lion’s share of traffic in the generative AI space but that grip is loosening. We’re moving toward a more pluralistic, multi-agent ecosystem.
Infrastructure capex is projected to exceed $2.1 trillion by 2029.
October 1, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Infrastructure capex is projected to exceed $2.1 trillion by 2029.
🇲🇽🇲🇽 Mexico City — unmatched
September 28, 2025 at 2:57 PM
🇲🇽🇲🇽 Mexico City — unmatched
AI adoption actually falling now for many firms
September 27, 2025 at 2:13 PM
AI adoption actually falling now for many firms
Back in 2023, training an LLM was pretty simple: pretraining and post-training. By 2025, the recipe has gotten a lot more layered: data mixtures, midtraining for reasoning and context, advanced post-training, and even model merging. Moving fast….
September 27, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Back in 2023, training an LLM was pretty simple: pretraining and post-training. By 2025, the recipe has gotten a lot more layered: data mixtures, midtraining for reasoning and context, advanced post-training, and even model merging. Moving fast….
Of 20 fastest-growing European cities, 10 are Polish
September 26, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Of 20 fastest-growing European cities, 10 are Polish
Radiology makes up the bulk of AI medical devices, with nearly 80% of FDA clearances in 2024.
September 25, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Radiology makes up the bulk of AI medical devices, with nearly 80% of FDA clearances in 2024.
American teenagers aren’t reading less—they’re barely reading at all.
September 24, 2025 at 12:03 AM
American teenagers aren’t reading less—they’re barely reading at all.
Sam Altman Explains Why the World Needs More AI Infrastructure
September 23, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Sam Altman Explains Why the World Needs More AI Infrastructure
The war on terror has come full circle. What was it all about? What was America fighting for, exactly? No one knows… Endless bloodshed and war for war’s sake. Nations destroyed. And irreversible damage to America’s political system.
September 23, 2025 at 1:10 AM
The war on terror has come full circle. What was it all about? What was America fighting for, exactly? No one knows… Endless bloodshed and war for war’s sake. Nations destroyed. And irreversible damage to America’s political system.
Huawei has built around 70% of Africa’s 4G networks, partnering with governments and companies in the continent’s largest economies, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Chinese investment and construction in technology in Africa, 2005-2025
Chinese investment and construction in technology in Africa, 2005-2025
September 22, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Huawei has built around 70% of Africa’s 4G networks, partnering with governments and companies in the continent’s largest economies, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.
Chinese investment and construction in technology in Africa, 2005-2025
Chinese investment and construction in technology in Africa, 2005-2025
The world today sits in a very precarious place — neither war nor peace.
September 14, 2025 at 12:09 PM
The world today sits in a very precarious place — neither war nor peace.
The 1588 Spanish plan to conquer China aimed to open an eastern front against the Ottoman Empire.
September 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
The 1588 Spanish plan to conquer China aimed to open an eastern front against the Ottoman Empire.
The gateways to Antarctica
September 10, 2025 at 10:32 AM
The gateways to Antarctica
What Columbus thought the world looked like before sailing to the Americas.
September 9, 2025 at 1:23 AM
What Columbus thought the world looked like before sailing to the Americas.
Something has fundamentally changed in the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley that is likely to persist after Trump’s tenure.
September 6, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Something has fundamentally changed in the relationship between Washington and Silicon Valley that is likely to persist after Trump’s tenure.