A high-level delegation from the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), including the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), Dubai Exports, and several prominent Dubai-based companies and free zones, completed a two-week tour of the U.S. on the 24th of March 2017. This month’s roadshow was but one of many the DED has embarked on over the year throughout the U.S. to foster the Emirate’s engagement with major U.S. cities and to bolster trade ties and foreign direct investment to Dubai.
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 the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority, Dubai Tourism, TECOM Group, and the Emirates Group. As part of their visit, they held dozens of meetings with state and local government officials, and community business leaders, startups, and incubators across Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale.
In Austin, the delegation was featured at the Advantage Dubai Luncheon Seminar, which was co-hosted by the World Affairs Council of Austin and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, along with Protocol and Etiquette Worldwide. This exclusive event provided public and private-sector stakeholders the opportunity to hear DED delegates highlight Dubai’s role as a leading platform in the region due to its geographic location, human capital, state-of-the-art infrastructure, logistics, technology, and government vision.
Alexis Serfaty, Vice President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, with Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI, William Gould Jr., Chief Technology Officer of Solar Reserve, and Andrew Wang, Director of Development of Solar Reserve
“The U.A.E. is the 7th fastest growing provider of Foreign Direct Investment into the United States,” said Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI. “The U.S. is also one of the top three sources of FDI into Dubai, and, with innovation being the prime focus, Dubai continues to seek partners from the U.S. with the capability of bringing new financial and intellectual capital that can complement the city’s position as a leading hub in the Gulf and the wider region. Dubai provides U.S. companies easy access to a potential market of 2.4 billion people using Dubai as their platform to further and broader markets in the MENA region, Africa and South East Asia.”
Following the highly successful trip to Austin, the delegation continued to Miami to meet community leaders at the Beacon Council for a roundtable breakfast. During this meeting, leaders from the aviation, banking and finance, creative design, hospitality and tourism, information technology, life sciences and healthcare, and trade and logistics sectors were given an opportunity to ask questions regarding Dubai’s exposure to markets in the Middle East region as well as South Asia and Africa.
Dubai FDI delegation with His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York, at PortMiami
On the final leg of the trip, the delegation held a roundtable meeting at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance, where they had the pleasure of hearing firsthand about the continued success of the U.A.E.’s bilateral relationship with Ft. Lauderdale from The Honorable Barbara Sharief, Mayor of Broward County, Florida. In her remarks, Mayor Sharief stressed the great work of Emirates Airline in expanding investment opportunities in Ft. Lauderdale.
The Honorable Barbara Sharief, Mayor of Broward County, Florida, discussing the Ft. Lauderdale-U.A.E. bilateral relationship
The delegation concluded their trip with a brief visit to Derecktor Shipyards and Heico Corporation before returning to Dubai.
