Washington, D.C. —The U.S.-Qatar Business Council, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council, and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council co-hosted a luncheon featuring keynote remarks by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in Washington, D.C. The on-the-record event attracted senior business executives, government officials, think-tank thought leaders, and members of the media. Notable attendees included United Arab Emirates Ambassador to the U.S. His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ambassador to the U.S. His Excellency Adel Al-Jubeir, and senior staff from the Embassies of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E.
In March, Secretary Pritzker will lead 21 U.S. firms looking for export opportunities in the infrastructure sector on a trade mission to the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The trade mission will focus on areas such as project management and engineering (including construction, architecture and design), clean and renewable energy (solar, wind, waste-to-energy), smart grid and energy efficiency, and environmental technologies (including water/wastewater, air pollution control, and waste management).
“It is an honor to be with such a distinguished group of leaders to celebrate not only our friendships, but our vibrant commercial and economic relationships in the Gulf,” said Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “I am confident that my upcoming trade mission to the U.A.E., Saudi Arabia, and Qatar will help a number of U.S. firms take advantage of the tremendous opportunities we are seeing in these three countries and throughout the region.”
Secretary Pritzker delivered her keynote speech following brief welcome remarks by co-hosts U.S.-Qatar Business Council President and Executive Director Ambassador Patrick Theros, U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council CEO and President Edward Burton, and U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council President Danny Sebright.
“The U.A.E. welcomes the opportunity to work with Secretary Pritzker to further deepen our bilateral trade and investment relationship. With 2013 total trade surpassing $26 billion, the U.A.E. is America’s largest trading partner in the Middle East for five years running, and is the fastest growing export market for U.S. goods globally since 2002,” said Ambassador Al Otaiba. “This dynamic relationship is underscored by U.A.E. airlines’ announcement late last year of the largest commercial aircraft order in history. When combined, U.A.E. airlines will purchase over 300 new Boeing aircraft, supporting thousands of jobs and providing economic growth around the U.S.”
“I am very pleased that Secretary Pritzker will be visiting the Kingdom during her upcoming trip to the Middle East. Saudi Arabia and the U.S. have had a strategic partnership for more than seven decades, which has grown broader and deeper in all areas with the passing of time. Commerce has been one of the anchors of this relationship. Today, trade and investment levels between the two countries are at all time highs. I am confident that Secretary Pritzker and her distinguished delegation of U.S. companies will have a productive visit that will further enhance the close commercial ties between our two friendly countries.”
During her remarks, Secretary Pritzker discussed the ways in which the United States and the countries of the Gulf region are doing business together, and talked about how the Department of Commerce can assist companies looking to expand their footprint in the Middle East.
“American businesses are excited about these markets,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. “The middle class is expanding quickly in Gulf states, increasing the demand for U.S. products and services; the region is becoming a global gateway for trade and commerce with new hubs and booming cities; and Gulf countries are crafting long-term visions for the future – visions that America can help the Gulf fully realize.”
Secretary Pritzker expanded on the value of leading a high-level delegation of diverse U.S.-based infrastructure companies to the Middle East to meet with public and private sector thought leaders in each host country. Secretary Pritzker emphasized that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the U.A.E. are among the top 50 export markets for the United States, making up a critical regional economic triumvirate that has collectively seen export numbers rise more than 50% since the launch of the National Export Initiative in 2010.
“We here at the U.S.-Qatar Business Council welcome the opportunity to take part in the luncheon for Secretary Penny Pritzker in advance of her Trade Mission to Qatar, the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia,” said Ambassador Theros. “The incredible growth and investment in Qatar will provide enormous scope for Secretary Pritzker and the Department of Commerce to help American companies take advantage of the opportunities there. We know that she will find a welcome audience for American businesses in the fastest growing economy in the region, if not the world. The USQBC stands ready to support the Secretary’s efforts. ”
“The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council welcomes U.S. Secretary Penny Pritzker and her distinguished business delegation, which includes a number of Council corporate members, to Saudi Arabia. Throughout its 20 year history, the Business Council has collaborated closely with the U.S. Department of Commerce to increase the number of companies doing business in the Kingdom,” said Burton. “Saudi Arabia is the largest market in the Middle East and North Africa region and presents a wealth of opportunities for these delegates. We are confident that this visit will contribute significantly to the growth of the U.S.-Saudi business relationship.”
“Trade is a key pillar supporting a strong, multi-dimensional, and growing bilateral relationship between the U.S. and U.A.E.,” said Sebright. “The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is honored to co-host Secretary Pritzker and members of her business delegation in Washington, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai to highlight the Secretary’s agenda for increased global engagement, record-breaking U.S.-U.A.E. trade numbers totaling $26.9 billion in 2013, and innovative opportunities for commercial partnership moving forward.”
The Washington, D.C. event precedes Secretary Pritzker’s U.S. Infrastructure Business Development Mission to the Middle East taking place March 8-14, 2014. During the mission, Secretary Pritzker will attend events in her honor, site visits, and meetings in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Riyadh, and Doha before returning to the United States.
To read Secretary Pritzker’s full remarks, visit: http://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2014/02/27/us-secretary-commerce-penny-pritzker-delivers-remarks-gulf-region
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About the U.S. Infrastructure Business Development Mission to the Middle East:
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will lead an Infrastructure Business Development Mission to the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Qatar that will highlight infrastructure export opportunities for U.S. businesses with an emphasis on project management and engineering (including construction, architecture and design), renewable energy (solar, wind, waste-to-energy), smart grid and energy efficiency, and environmental technologies (including water/wastewater; air pollution control; and waste management). This mission advances President Obama’s National Export Initiative. Below, find the names of 21 U.S.-based companies that will Join Secretary Pritzker on the mission.
• AECOM Technology Corporation (Los Angeles, CA)
• AREVA Solar Inc. (Santa Clara, CA)
• C3 Energy (Redwood City, CA)
• ECC International, LLC (Burlingame, CA)
• First Solar (Tempe, AZ)
• General Electric Company (Fairfield, CT)
• Ghafari Associates, LLC (Dearborn, MI)
• Greeley and Hansen, LLC (Chicago, IL)
• Headworks International Inc. (Houston, TX)
• Innovari, Inc. (Austin, TX)
• Michael Baker International, LLC (Moon Township, PA)
• Pei Cobb Freed & Partners Architects LLP (New York, NY)
• Rapiscan Systems (Torrance, CA)
• Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (Chicago, IL)
• SolarReserve (Santa Monica, CA)
• STV Incorporated (New York, NY)
• the digit group, inc. (Collierville, TN)
• The Dow Chemical Company (Midland, MI)
• Thornton Tomasetti, Inc. (New York, NY)
• Universal Acoustics & Emissions Technology (Stoughton, WI)
• Zero Waste Energy, LLC (Lafayette, CA)
For More Information: http://export.gov/GCCMission2014/
About the U.S.-Qatar Business Council:
The U.S. – Qatar Business Council is a non-profit, private sector organization which provides a forum for discussion of key economic, commercial and other issues of interest to American companies doing or planning to do business in Qatar. The Council also provides information and sponsors events and programs which provide insight into Qatar and its international and business environment. As the only American organization exclusively focused on improving commercial relations with Qatar, the Council plays a leading role in the expansion of the bilateral relationship. The Council is a membership-based organization, and its focus lies on providing value-added services to corporate members in the US, Qatar, and around the world.
Website: http://www.usqbc.org
About the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council:
The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) is an organization of business leaders in both countries working together to strengthen bilateral business relations through trade and investment by promoting a broader understanding among U.S. and Saudi companies, as well as providing information on specific business opportunities. The USSABC was incorporated in the U.S. in December 1993, and maintains offices in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Website: http://www.us-sabc.org
About the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council:
The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is a progressive business advocacy organization solely committed to the advancement of the trade and commercial relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council provides its diverse membership unparalleled access to senior decision makers in business and government in the U.A.E. and in the U.S. The Business Council actively works to ensure that the U.S. and U.A.E. remain attractive destinations for foreign direct investment by conducting effective policy advocacy, undertaking various trade promotion initiatives, providing ongoing updates on the business climate in both countries, and helping develop strategic relationships between U.S. and U.A.E. business and government officials.
Website: http://www.usuaebusiness.org
