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His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States of America, and Martina Strong, US Ambassador to the UAE, affirmed that the official visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, may God protect him, to the US capital, Washington, tomorrow, “Monday,” during which he will meet with US President Joe Biden at the White House, sheds light on the fifty-year journey of partnerships between the two countries that have contributed to achieving prosperity, security, and scientific progress.
The UAE Ambassador to Washington and the US Ambassador to the UAE said in a joint article titled “The UAE-US Partnership: An Enduring Commitment to Progress and Innovation” on the occasion of the visit that the two countries continue to work together to enhance security and stability in the Middle East, and stand side by side to support multilateral diplomatic solutions and provide urgent humanitarian assistance in Gaza and Sudan. They explained that joint cooperation in the fields of defense and counterterrorism contributes to establishing security and stability in the two countries and the world. In this regard, they pointed out that the UAE Armed Forces have stood alongside US forces in six different conflicts over the past thirty years, which has contributed to strengthening the close relations between the two countries.
Yousef Al Otaiba and Martina Strong noted that as these partnerships continue, the UAE and the United States look forward to achieving a shared vision for a more prosperous and stable future for the region, and enhancing cooperation between them over the next fifty years.
They pointed out that in 1974, a delegation from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), including a number of astronauts and scientists, visited the capital, Abu Dhabi, during which they provided a comprehensive explanation of the Apollo missions to reach the surface of the moon, to the founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul. At that time, no one imagined that the UAE would become a major partner in the Artemis programme led by NASA, which aims to return humans to the surface of the moon, as the UAE plays an active role in this programme by supporting the Gateway lunar space station project, which will become the first space station in the moon’s orbit.
advanced technology
The ambassadors said that in the field of advanced technology and artificial intelligence, we see that the UAE-US path is moving with unparalleled vitality and speed, as the US “Silicon Valley” and the UAE “Silicon Oasis” are participating in research and innovation projects aimed at promoting research in the field of artificial intelligence, extending from laboratories to meeting rooms and advanced production facilities, while the journey along Sheikh Zayed Road from Abu Dhabi to Dubai is a familiar routine for any American executive who inevitably passes by the billboards of Google, Meta, IBM and Microsoft that light up the sides of the road.
They pointed to the announcement this week by Abu Dhabi-based technology investment company MGX of a new partnership with Microsoft, US investment firm BlackRock and others to launch a new technology infrastructure investment platform. Last year, Silicon Valley’s Cerebras partnered with the UAE’s G42 Group to deploy some of the world’s fastest supercomputers to train AI models in California and Texas. Meanwhile, Mubadala’s investment in New York-based GlobalFoundries is expanding the US semiconductor industry and creating thousands of jobs in the region’s innovation-driven economy. In addition, G42 is partnering with Microsoft Azure to launch a new cloud computing platform in the UAE, in addition to other partnerships with leading technology companies such as Nvidia, AMD, VAST and Qualcomm to develop advanced technology infrastructure in the UAE.
The importance of cooperation
Yousef Al Otaiba and Martina Strong said that our two countries recognize the importance of cooperation in the field of technology and science and are committed to expanding the scope of this cooperation through new initiatives that include enhancing standards for the protection of data and sensitive technology, deepening cooperation in the field of research and education, and launching programs aimed at narrowing the digital divide by providing basic technologies available to all, while maintaining the highest standards of security and privacy.
They stressed that, as with the UAE-US nuclear cooperation agreement, these joint efforts may represent the new “gold standard” for securing and accelerating the next generation of advanced technology. In 2009, the historic “123 Agreement” enabled the UAE to develop its peaceful nuclear energy program, which is now supplying data centers across the country with clean, low-emission electricity.
They stressed that the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the State, “may God protect him,” also comes as a continuation of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which was hosted by the UAE in December of last year, and which constituted a turning point in the path of Emirati-American cooperation in confronting the climate crisis and accelerating the pace of transition to clean energy.
They stressed that advanced technology and climate action contribute to opening new horizons for trade and business after attracting many American companies, investors and entrepreneurs to the UAE, which, thanks to its strategic location, has become a global center for business, media and culture and a leading gateway to fast-growing markets in the Middle East, Africa, India and Asia. They pointed out that more than 1,500 American companies and institutions operate in the UAE, which enhances its economic growth, diversifies its resources and creates new job opportunities, while more than 50,000 American citizens reside there.
Investments
His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba and Martina Strong explained that bilateral trade and cooperation over the past five decades has contributed to achieving many benefits for both countries and resulted in Emirati investments exceeding one trillion dollars in various sectors of the American economy, making the UAE the largest trading partner of the United States in the Middle East after the volume of trade exchange between the two countries exceeded 31 billion dollars in 2023.
“Just as the Apollo mission inspired generations of scientists and engineers, the UAE and the US will move forward together through the Gateway program and other ambitious projects,” His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States, and Her Excellency Martina Strong, US Ambassador to the UAE, concluded their article. “Nothing is impossible, if God wills it.”
