The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and U.A.E. Embassy in Washington, D.C. hosted a luncheon conversation with H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of the U.A.E. Cybersecurity Council, on Thursday, April 17th, 2025 at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. This luncheon builds upon a dinner hosted by the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council in honor of His Excellency Dr. Al Kuwaiti and his team in Abu Dhabi in February and comes ahead of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s U.S. Department of Commerce-certified Trade Mission to GISEC Global from May 5-8, 2025. 

U.S. Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Khush Choksy noted that the U.A.E. has been the largest U.S. trading partner in the region for over 15 years. He cited the recently announced U.A.E. $1.4 trillion investment framework into the U.S. as an example of deepening commercial ties. 

U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council Board member and Partner at DC Capital Partners Gail Dady welcomed guests and noted the importance of the discussion ahead of the GISEC Global conference. Ms. Dady previewed the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council-led trade mission to the U.A.E. focused on cyber security. She highlighted the U.A.E.’s efforts on cybersecurity which present partnership opportunities for U.S. companies, such as the U.A.E. Cybersecurity Council’s recent collaboration with Google. 

H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti outlined the opportunities available to companies participating at GISEC Global. He noted that GISEC Global is the world’s largest cybersecurity conference and will host representatives from over 152 nations. His Excellency referenced the Cyber 193 exercise convened by the U.A.E. with 140 nations as another example of the U.A.E.’s leadership in the cybersecurity field. H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti also spoke of the strides the U.A.E. is making in the artificial intelligence (AI) sector. 

H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti spoke of the U.A.E.’s ambitions to become an “AI nation.” He stressed that private sector partnerships will be essential to meet this goal and noted that companies investing in the U.A.E. have a platform to reach other countries that depend on the U.A.E.’s AI infrastructure. His Excellency remarked that the U.A.E. is being proactive in developing key cybersecurity capabilities such as threat hunting, data infrastructure, physical infrastructure, information technology (IT), and operational technology (OT) cybersecurity. 

H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti discussed the U.A.E.’s National Cyber Security Strategy launched last February and its five pillars: governance, protection, innovation, establishing and building, and partnerships. He emphasized AI as the core element of the strategy and that the U.A.E. seeks to leverage AI to bolster its cybersecurity capabilities. His Excellency stressed that the U.A.E. is focused on the ethics and responsible development of AI. H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti also cited additional enablers such as infrastructure and sustainable power that are crucial for cybersecurity enablement. 

H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti fielded questions from the business representatives in attendance focused on the cybersecurity threat landscape, indigenous cybersecurity workforce development, and advice for companies interested in cybersecurity partnerships in the U.A.E. H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti acknowledged that there is an increased threat from cyber attacks and a rise in cyber terrorism. He encouraged U.S. companies to assist in developing the U.A.E.’s cybersecurity through capacity building. His Excellency emphasized that local workforce development is essential for the U.A.E.’s cybersecurity sector given its small population size. Citing programs such as Cyber Pulse, an initiative that aims to encourage community members in the U.A.E. to play a part in cybersecurity efforts, he called on partners to contribute to greater cybersecurity awareness in the U.A.E. H.E. Dr. Al Kuwaiti recommended that U.S. cybersecurity companies interested in doing business in the U.A.E. identify local partners and build long-term relationships in the U.A.E. market. He added that companies delivering something unique to the market will be at an advantage and advised that companies think bigger than just the U.A.E.   

For more information about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s programming and this event, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org.