As the coronavirus pandemic upended life as we know it, U.A.E. leadership acted swiftly to mitigate the impact of the virus. In a videoconference hosted by the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council on 29 June 2020, H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority and Group C.E.O. and Managing Director of Mubadala Investment Company, discussed how Abu Dhabi is weathering the storm and is harnessing technology and data to carefully yet ambitiously move forward.

H.E. Al Mubarak highlighted the efforts from the healthcare sector and steps taken by key institutions to ensure that residents and citizens of the U.A.E. remain safe and secure while minimizing economic fallout.

His Excellency also discussed how major U.A.E. financial and investment institutions were made more agile and resilient ahead of this crisis through consolidations in recent years, and the welcoming of new types of foreign investment, including in the oil and gas sector. At the same time, he explained how the pandemic reinforced the importance of many aspects of economic diversification plans.

His Excellency also addressed the U.A.E.’s growing investments in Asia, with Mubadala’s recent investment in Jio Platforms in India as a prime example of the U.A.E.’s growing economic presence and trade links with the world.

Finally, His Excellency expressed optimism about the future trajectory of the country, noting reasons for optimism with the launch of the U.A.E.’s Mars Mission, the opening of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, and the hosting of Expo 2020 in Dubai next year.

The video call was attended by over 300 senior executives from leading American and Emirati companies as well as by U.S. and U.A.E. government officials.

This videoconference comes as part of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s ongoing series, “Looking Ahead: Conversations with U.S. and U.A.E. Business and Government Leaders.” For more information about this series and an exciting slate of upcoming events, please contact the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s head of communications Mary Zuccarello at mzuccarello@usuaebusiness.org.