The National Defense Industrial Association and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council lead a U.S. Commercial Aerospace & Defense Trade Mission to the United Arab Emirates from October 2nd -7th, 2010.  The trade mission brought sixty-five representatives from over fifty U.S. companies in the defense and aerospace sectors to the U.A.E. to further deepen and strengthen the defense and aerospace business relationship between the two countries.

In addition to the major Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in the U.S. defense sector, over forty Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), many of which have little or no current business activities in the U.A.E., participated in the mission.

The trade mission program kicked off with an address by H.E. Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, U.A.E. Minister of Foreign Trade, at a welcoming reception which was held at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi on the evening of October 2nd.  At the reception, delegates were also welcomed by U.S. Ambassador Richard Olson and attended a dinner at his residence later in the week.

Throughout the mission, these U.S. defense companies had the opportunity to meet with their counterparts from key defense companies in the U.A.E. including: Emirates Advanced Investments (EAI), International Golden Group (IGG), Mubadala, and Tawazun. The delegation also met with U.A.E. government, military, and defense officials, including representatives from the Offset Program Bureau (OPB).

The mission included briefings from public and private sector officials with expertise in the U.A.E.’s defense, military, and homeland security space. In addition to meetings and briefings, delegates conducted site visits to major defense industrial zones and toured key military compounds.  Delegates were also briefed by the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and attended a panel presentation entitled, “Doing Business in the U.A.E.,” which addressed many legal and regulatory issues relevant to market newcomers and experienced investors alike.

The mission was certified by the Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce and supported by the U.A.E. Embassy Trade and Commercial Office in Washington, D.C.