Soon after Houthi attacks forced Saudi Arabia to shutter its capital’s main airport, one consultant drove for hours to get to Riyadh from Oman. The executive left two weeks later and plans to return soon, this time via Doha, betting that showing up will offer an edge over rivals who’re staying away.

OpenAI signed deals to deploy its technology across energy companies, investment firms and government agencies in the United Arab Emirates, deepening ties as it seeks billions of dollars in funding from the country’s state-backed investors.