The Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), in partnership with the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, led a two-day, business delegation to Denver from the 12th-13th of September. The Denver trip followed a successful mission to Houston that took place earlier in the week.

Representatives from the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI); leading U.A.E. free zones Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza); Dubai’s world-class airline Emirates Airline and its cargo line Emirates SkyCargo; and the iconic luxury Dubai-based hotel company  Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts made up the delegation.

Commenting on the importance of this mission, His Excellency Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI, said, “The contingent from Dubai, which is renowned for its business-friendly environment, will take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen further the investment and trade relations between the UAE and the US. We will achieve this by engaging with concerned government and private sector organizations and discussing collaborative efforts as we work towards advancing our mutually beneficial initiatives and interests.”

The trip began with a business seminar supported by the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, World Trade Center Denver, the Denver Office of Economic Development, and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council. Executives from local companies heard from the delegation about the advantages of doing business in Dubai before directly engaging with the visitors in one-on-one breakout sessions.

 Following the seminar, delegates participated in a working luncheon with Denver city officials, including representatives from the Denver Economic Development & Opportunity, the National Western Center, and the Denver Center for Performing Arts. Delegates then attended meetings with individuals from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, and Colorado State University.

The day ended with a dinner hosted by Gisela Shanahan, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of Global Development at Denver International Airport.

The second day of the mission saw meetings with business leaders and energy experts including:

• Leprino Foods,– a Denver-based global dairy supplier
• Velocity Global – a leading global employment solutions provider
• CGI Group Inc. – a global IT consulting systems integration, outsourcing, and solution company.
• Colorado Cleantech Leaders  – a group of industry leaders with experience in sustainable technology solutions

This Denver mission built on the strong existing U.S.-U.A.E. trade relationship. The U.A.E. has been the largest trading partner of the U.S. in the Middle East and North Africa region for the past ten years, and by 2018, total cross-border trade between the partners totaled over $24 billion. According to the International Trade Administration, total trade between the state of Colorado and U.A.E surpassed $50.1 million in 2018.