New Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Highlights Continued Momentum in the U.S.-U.A.E. Commercial Partnership
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(L to R)  Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa at the U.S. Department of Commerce Mark Mitchell; President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council Danny Sebright

“The U.S.-U.A.E. relationship is deep and longstanding. There is no question about the depth and loyalty of that relationship.” – Mark Mitchell, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa at the U.S. Department of Commerce

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a roundtable lunch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Washington, D.C., in honor of Mark Mitchell, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Middle East and Africa within the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell began his position in May 2026 and oversees commercial engagement and trade promotion efforts across the regions in support of U.S. economic competitiveness, strategic partnerships, and private-sector growth. Read his full bio here.

This discussion focused on the future of the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relationship, implementation of the U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership, and the Department of Commerce’s priorities for deepening commercial engagement with one of America’s closest economic partners in the Middle East.

Key Takeaways

  • The U.S. Department of Commerce highlighted that the U.A.E. remains one of America’s key commercial partners in the Middle East, citing record bilateral trade, expanding investment, and growing cooperation across strategic industries.
  • The U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership continues to advance, with both governments focused on implementing trusted AI infrastructure, secure technology governance, and expanding access to advanced computing capabilities.
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell emphasized the U.A.E.’s resilience as a stable commercial hub and expressed confidence that bilateral economic cooperation will continue to accelerate.


Record Trade Relationship Continues to Grow

Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell noted the continued strength of the bilateral commercial relationship. Recent U.S. Commerce Department trade data showed that the U.A.E. remains the largest export destination for U.S. goods in the Middle East for the seventeenth consecutive year.
 

  • In 2025, bilateral goods trade reached a record $39 billion, including more than $31 billion in U.S. exports to the U.A.E.
  • Those exports supported more than 205,900 American jobs, while U.S. exports to the U.A.E. have supported more than half a million American jobs over the past three years.
  • The U.S. recorded a $23.8 billion trade surplus with the U.A.E.,up from $19.6 billion in 2024, the fourth-largest U.S. trade surplus globally. 
  • U.A.E. investments in the U.S. now exceed $1 trillion, with the U.A.E. on track to fulfill its pledge to invest an additional $1.4 trillion in the U.S. economy over the next decade.


U.A.E. Investment Continues to Support American Growth
 
Discussion also focused on the unprecedented expansion of two-way investment between the United States and the U.A.E. 
 

  • Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell highlighted the U.A.E.’s commitment to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States over ten years, building upon nearly $1 trillion already invested across the American economy.
  • He also discussed the Department of Commerce’s role in facilitating investment that supports American companies, strengthens domestic manufacturing, and creates jobs in key industries throughout the United States.
  • Conversation also explored growing state-level partnerships as Emirati investment expands into sectors including advanced manufacturing, energy, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure, noting the various greenfield projects taking place in states like Texas, California, Oklahoma, Florida, and more.


U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership Moving from Agreement to Implementation

Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell discussed the U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership, announced during President Trump’s May 2025 visit to Abu Dhabi. He noted that there is incredible support and optimism in the U.A.E. as a technology partner.
 

  • In May 2026, in an important milestone, the U.A.E. received the first batch of next-generation computer chips from the United States. 
  • The U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership Working Group highlighted in April the importance of trusted technology governance, including G42’s Regulated Technology Environment and ongoing work with U.S. partners to develop a common operating picture that enhances transparency and security. 
  • The discussion also examined opportunities for American companies participating in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, cloud computing, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and emerging technologies.


Commerce Department Committed to Supporting U.S. Companies
 
Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell emphasized that supporting American companies remains central to the Department of Commerce’s mission.
 

  • He highlighted the Department’s role in connecting U.S. companies to emerging opportunities, facilitating investment, advocating for U.S. companies overseas, and strengthening commercial partnerships across the Middle East and Africa. 
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell stated that the focus is on priority sectors including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, secure digital infrastructure, and advanced energy, emphasizing that trusted partnerships with the U.A.E. are critical to advancing U.S. economic competitiveness.
  • He urged U.S. companies to engage the Department of Commerce early in pursuing overseas opportunities so they can leverage Commerce’s commercial advocacy, matchmaking capabilities, and broad interagency support.
  • Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell also reflected on his more than two decades working throughout the Middle East, including in the U.A.E., noting the country’s remarkable transformation into one of the world’s leading centers for innovation, technology, entrepreneurship, and global investment.


Looking Ahead
 
On Wednesday, July 29th at 12:30pm, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council will host a conversation with U.A.E. Commercial Attaché to the U.S. Jawaher Almheiri in Washington, D.C. Ms. Almheiri will discuss the implementation of the U.A.E.’s 10-year, $1.4 trillion investment framework into the United States, the U.A.E.’s commercial priorities in the U.S., and more. To express your interest in attending this event, please see here.

To learn more about the Business Council’s programming and this event, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org.