His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York, and Mr. Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, visited the state of Florida this past week for a diplomatic engagement mission to foster and expand U.S. and U.A.E. business and cultural relationships.
Consul General Al-Suwaidi and Mr. Sebright met with Governor Rick Scott on Tuesday in Tallahassee. During this meeting, Consul General Al-Suwaidi emphasized the important bilateral relationship between Florida and the U.A.E., highlighting strong trade and investment ties. They also discussed mutual cooperation in areas such as port investments, space programs, and aviation.
In Consul General Al-Suwaidi’s remarks to Governor Scott, he said, “The new Consulate in New York is actively seeking to strengthen its relationships with business leaders in important U.S. states such as Florida. A primary role of the Consulate is to increase U.S.-U.A.E. trade and investment, and we are here to support Florida-based companies interested in doing business with the U.A.E. and the wider region as much as we can. Additionally, we would love to host a delegation of American officials from Florida to the U.A.E. in the near future.”
Also on Tuesday, Consul General Al-Suwaidi met with Paul Mitchell, Director of International Trade for Enterprise Florida in Orlando. The closed-door meeting provided an opportunity for Enterprise Florida executives to brief Consul General Al-Suwaidi on key priorities and plans to attract foreign investment as well as mutually beneficial partnerships between the U.A.E. and Florida.
On Wednesday, the Economic Development Department of Orange County hosted Consul General Al-Suwaidi for a breakfast roundtable with public and private-sector stakeholders specializing in healthcare, sustainability, international trade, and aviation.
His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York, with the Honorable Mr. Rick Scott, Governor of Florida, Ms. Alia Al Suwaidi, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates, and Mr. Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council
On Thursday, Consul General Al-Suwaidi and Mr. Sebright connected with a visiting delegation from the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED) in Miami. Prior to visiting Miami, the visiting delegation had previously toured Los Angeles, San Diego, and Austin to highlight the benefits available to U.S. companies interested in learning more about setting up a business in Dubai. Consul General Al-Suwaidi and the DED delegation met with community leaders at the Beacon Council in Miami-Dade County. Miami-Dade stakeholders included members from the aviation, banking and finance, creative design, hospitality and tourism, information technology, life sciences and healthcare, and trade and logistics sectors.
Following the breakfast, Consul General Al-Suwaidi, toured PortMiami and met with Mr. Emilio Estephan, Chairman of Estefan Enterprises, who was interested in increasing business and cultural relations between the U.S. Latino community and the U.A.E.
On the final day of the visit, Consul General Al-Suwaidi arrived at the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance for a networking and breakfast roundtable seminar. The Honorable Barbara Sharief, Mayor of Broward County, Florida, provided opening remarks on the great work Emirates Airline has done to bring investment opportunities to Fort Lauderdale.
Before rounding out his Florida tour, Consul General Al-Suwaidi visited Derecktor Shipyards, the Heico Corporation, and HUBB CoWorking, which is a global trade & logistics accelerator.
Commenting on the entirety of the visit Mr. Sebright remarked, “The Consul General’s trip throughout Florida, to meet senior state officials and business leaders in their respective communities, is instrumental in promoting two-way trade and investment between Florida and the U.A.E.”
Facts about the Florida-U.A.E. Relationship
The U.A.E. is a significant economic partner to the state. In 2016, Florida exported over $1.5 billion in goods to the U.A.E., making Florida a top five U.S. exporter to the U.A.E.
Florida’s top five primary exports to the U.A.E. include Primary Metal Manufacturing, Computer & Electronic Products, Transportation Equipment, Machinery (excluding electrical), and Chemicals.
In the last two years, Emirates Airline established its 10th and 11th direct non-stop routes in the U.S. from Dubai to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale.
