(Washington, D.C.) — The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a lunch and roundtable discussion featuring Mr. Robert Bannerman, the newly-appointed Principal Commercial Officer for the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday.  Business executives and government officials from both the U.S. and the U.A.E. attended the event to welcome Mr. Bannerman to his post.

Business Council members expressed the their eagerness to work in coordination with the U.S. Consulate in Dubai and the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi to deepen the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relationship.

In his comments, Mr. Bannerman emphasized the Foreign Commercial Service’s focus on increasing U.S. exports under President Barack Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI) and the particular role he and his colleagues will play in helping American companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), establish and expand their footprint in the U.A.E.

Following his remarks, Mr. Bannerman took questions and comments and expressed his commitment to working with U.S. businesses on the ground in Dubai to advance U.S. commercial interests and provide a support network for companies looking to break into the U.A.E. market.

Mr. Bannerman has served extensively overseas as a Foreign Commercial Service Officer and is an international business and trade expert.  He will assume his post in Dubai in August.