A senior delegation from the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), Dubai Exports, and prominent free zones, completed a week-long visit to Indianapolis and Detroit on September 22, 2018 that included visits to stalwarts of U.S. business such as Eli Lilly, Ford, and General Motors. This is Dubai FDI’s second visit to the United States this year, following a successful mission to Cincinnati and Columbus Ohio, in March.

The mission, supported by the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and the U.A.E. Embassy’s Trade and Commercial Office in Washington, D.C., included representatives from leading U.A.E. free zones, including the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, DP World, Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority, Dubai Creative Clusters, and Dubai Airport Freezone. It also included representatives from Dubai’s world-class airline, Emirates Airline, and its cargo wing, Emirates SkyCargo.

His Excellency Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI, said, “The mission to Indiana and Michigan is part of Dubai FDI’s Global Mission Program to the United States, and is in line with our efforts to establish partnerships with international investors in order to enable them to expand and grow their business in Dubai.”

“The mission follows our successful visit to Columbus and Cincinnati last March, where our delegation met with U.S. businessmen and government officials to introduce Dubai’s advantage as a gateway to other global markets.

The mission highlighted all of the significant opportunities in the local market and how American companies – especially those involved in exports – can grow their business by capitalizing on the many competitive advantages in Dubai as an investor-friendly city and regional or sub-regional hub for their business,” he added.

Dubai FDI delegates meet local Indianapolis-based business executives to discuss investment opportunities in Dubai

The delegation kicked off their visit in Indianapolis with a breakfast business seminar that included senior government officials and executives representing the local business community. Guests heard about Dubai’s role as a leading platform in the region due to its geographic location, human capital, state-of-the-art logistics infrastructure, technology, and government vision. As part of the breakfast, attendees also had an opportunity to meet with individual companies in one-on-one breakout sessions.

His Excellency Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI, meets The Honorable Eric Holcomb, Governor of Indiana, and Jim Schellinger, Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and Indiana Commerce Secretary

After the conclusion of the seminar, the delegation had a private meeting with the Governor of Indiana, Eric Holcomb, and  the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce and the Indiana Commerce Secretary, Jim Schellinger, followed by meetings with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation and a reception with the President of the Indianapolis World Trade Center.

Before concluding the first portion of the visit, the delegation met senior executives representing pharmaceutical and manufacturing industries. Companies included:

• Eli Lilly & Company: A global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, which was the first company to mass-produce the polio vaccine and insulin.
• Allison Transmission: An American manufacturer of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems.
• Rolls-Royce Corporation: A subsidiary of Rolls-Royce plc in the U.S. that produces engines designed, assembled, and tested in Indianapolis.

During the Detroit portion of the visit, The Arab American Chamber of Commerce hosted an important welcome dinner with Senior Detroit business leaders.

During a subsequent seminar, the delegation outlined business opportunities in Dubai, how to enhance your exports, free trade zones, trade licensing, and information on the upcoming Expo 2020 Dubai. They also discussed areas of mutual collaboration in aerospace, agriculture and food security, automotive, building products and construction services, education, healthcare and life sciences, hospitality, information technology and smart services, and transportation and logistics before having breakout meetings with attending companies.

Dubai FDI delegates highlight Dubai’s advantage as a gateway to other markets in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia

After the conclusion of the business breakfast seminar, HE Al Gergawi said, “We discussed the value proposition that Dubai offers to foreign investors with our U.S. counterparts. As the emirate provides global connectivity and an encouraging environment for international companies to do business in various sectors, as well as continued development of infrastructure facilities that enable the smooth flow of goods across global markets.”

The delegation concluded the mission to Detroit by visiting some of America’s most recognizable auto manufacturing institutions and component manufacturers. Companies included:

• Ford Motor Company: An American multinational automaker headquartered in Dearborn, Michigan.
• General Motors Company: An American multinational automaker corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan.
• RCO Engineering: A leading supplier to the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries.

American Center for Mobility: A non-profit innovation, testing, and product development facility and proving ground for future mobility, designed to enable safe testing, validation, and self-certification of connected and automated vehicle mobility technology.