His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, the U.A.E.’s Consul General in New York, paid a visit to Philadelphia today as part of the U.A.E.’s continued outreach to key state and local partners in the Atlantic region. During this trip, His Excellency had a warm meeting with Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney. He also met with leadership from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and visited Emirati patients who have turned to this renowned hospital for world-class care.

This morning, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney welcomed Consul General Al-Suwaidi to his office at City Hall. The Mayor and the Consul General discussed the thriving U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relationship, marked by $26 billion in bilateral trade in 2016, as well as the $360 million worth of goods and services that the U.A.E. imported specifically from the state of Pennsylvania in 2016.  The two also explored the U.A.E.’s successful economic diversification efforts, the key economic engines of the City of Philadelphia, and how Philadelphia and the U.A.E. could continue to build on their strong economic relationship. In particular, they discussed cooperation in healthcare and medical education, which is one area in which the City of Philadelphia has distinguished itself thanks to its 7 medical schools and nearly 200 regional hospitals.

L to R: Ahood Alzaabi, Director of Government Affairs, Trade and Commercial Office, U.A.E. Embassy; His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, Consul General, U.A.E. Consulate General in New York; The Honorable Jim Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia; Lauren Swartz, Senior Director, International Business Investment, Department of Commerce, City of Philadelphia; Danny Sebright, President, U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council

During this conversation, Mayor Kenney reiterated Philadelphia’s role as a welcoming city and desire to grow its international relationships. “Philadelphia has a long history as a global city, and our diversity tends to be a major asset when cultivating relationships worldwide,” said Mayor Kenney. “Meeting with His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi was an opportunity to reassure him and the people of the U.A.E. that Philadelphia is open for business and willing to welcome them as visitors, students, workers, and entrepreneurs.”

Meanwhile, Consul General Al-Suwaidi stressed the importance of Philadelphia to the U.A.E. “Philadelphia is an economic hub and international study destination that welcomes many Emiratis each year who come to study, work, and visit,” Consul General Al-Suwaidi said. “The UAE enjoys an exceptionally strong relationship with the city, as further reinforced during my discussion with Mayor Kenney today.”

After his meeting with the Mayor, Consul General Al-Suwaidi paid a visit to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), one of the leading children’s hospitals in the world. Madeline Bell, President and Chief Executive Officer of CHOP, greeted the Consul General and presented him with a plaque commemorating the strong relationship between the U.S. and U.A.E.

L to R: Tom Dole, Senior Vice President, Outpatient and Clinical Services, CHOP; Danny Sebright, President, U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council; Madeline Bell, President and Chief Executive Officer, CHOP; His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, Consul General, U.A.E. Consulate General in New York; Ahood Alzaabi, Director of Government Affairs, Trade and Commercial Office, U.A.E. Embassy; Matthew Bayley, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, CHOP;  Ruth A. Frey, Senior Director, Global Business and Program Development, CHOP.

“Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is deeply honored by the visit of His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, Consul General of the United Arab Emirates.  All of the physicians, nurses, and administrators of CHOP welcome the opportunity to demonstrate to the Consul General the world-class pediatric care that we provide for all of our patients, including families of the U.A.E. that have chosen to entrust their children to our care,” said Madeline Bell.

His Excellency subsequently toured the hospital and visited the families of several Emirati patients who are receiving specialized treatment there. This is part of CHOP’s larger U.A.E. engagement, which also involves medical education and training as well as joint research programs.

His Excellency concluded his visit to CHOP with a lunch in which he learned more about institution’s proud history. Founded in 1855, CHOP was the first U.S. hospital devoted exclusively to the care of children and has been the site of numerous breakthroughs in pediatric medicine. Today, it has 546 beds and more than 1 million outpatient visits and inpatient admissions each year. Consistently recognized as one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals, children with complex conditions come to CHOP from all over the world for high-quality care. For more about the history of CHOP, see here.

His Excellency’s visit to Philadelphia is part of his concerted efforts to promote the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relationship since the opening of the U.A.E. Consulate General in New York in September 2016. His Excellency has become a regular presence throughout the tri-state area and has visited other key states along the Atlantic Coast, including Washington, D.C., Georgia, and Florida.