The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council led a delegation of American executives to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) last week to attend the inaugural Global Aerospace Summit hosted by Mubadala Aerospace and attend meetings with senior government and private sector officials.  The U.S. Commercial Aerospace Trade Mission to the U.A.E. was co-led by Marion Blakey, president & CEO of AIA and former head of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and Danny Sebright, president of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council.  The delegation included executives representing commercial aviation, aerospace, and space companies based in the United States with business interests in the U.A.E. and broader Middle East region.

The trade mission kicked off on Sunday April 15th with a day of exclusive meetings with senior American and Emirati government officials and legal advisers.  The Honorable Michael Corbin, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., welcomed the delegation to Abu Dhabi and was joined by a team of senior officials from the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi to provide a country briefing and overview for the delegation.  During the meeting, delegates were given the opportunity to discuss commercial issues, ask questions about the social and business climate in the U.A.E., and discuss how regional tensions have affected American commercial interests in the country and broader Middle East North Africa (MENA) region.

Following the Ambassador’s country briefing, an official from the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED) provided the delegation with an overview of the Abu Dhabi 2030 Plan, the emirate’s ambitious economic diversification strategy. Following the presentation, delegates were able to ask questions and have an open discussion about Abu Dhabi’s future economic objectives aimed at moving its economy away from oil dependence and how commercial aerospace plays a prominent role in these plans. After the DED presentation, a panel of legal advisers representing American law firms with a presence in the U.A.E. provided the delegation with insights into the inner workings of doing business in the country and outlined common issues American companies encounter when attempting to establish a commercial presence in the U.A.E.

On Monday and Tuesday, the delegation attended the Global Aerospace Summit 2012 (www.aerospacesummit.ae), which was hosted by Mubadala Aerospace under the patronage of His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the U.A.E. Armed Forces.  Opening remarks were delivered by His Excellency Sultan Al Mansoori, U.A.E. Minister of Economy, who was joined at the summit by senior Emirati government officials and commercial aviation and aerospace authorities. The conference, which boasted an impressive speaker faculty and an attendance of almost one thousand private and public sector officials from all over the world, provided the delegates with a global overview of the commercial aviation, aerospace, and space sectors and underscored the emerging role of Abu Dhabi as a regional hub and global transit point.  During the two-day conference, delegates were able to attend the plenary panel discussions, attend targeted breakout sessions with Emirati companies and government authorities, and network with industry leaders from around the world. On the first day, Marion Blakey served as a moderator on a panel entitled, “Regulation, Profitability, and Sustainability: How the Environment, Fuel Prices, and Legislation Impact Airlines” and on the second, Danny Sebright served as a moderator on a panel entitled, “Commercial Space Business: A New Era”.

On Wednesday, following a full day of site visits to aerospace and aviation facilities in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain — the U.A.E.’s emerging aerospace hub—, the delegation attended a reception and dinner at Ambassador Corbin’s residence held in their honor.  Senior Emirati government and commercial decision-makers— including His Excellency Saif Mohammed Al Suwaidi, Director General of the U.A.E. General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and James Bennett, CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports Company (ADAC)—were in attendance at the dinner; underscoring the importance of partnerships and investment to the development of the U.A.E.’s budding aerospace sector.

The trade mission — which was certified by the U.S. Department of Commerce and supported by the Trade & Commercial Office at the U.A.E. Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi— concluded on Thursday after another full day of site visits and cultural tours of the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

For pictures of the event, please visit:
http://www.aerospacesummit.ae/Gallery/Global%20Aerospace%20Summit-2012/content/index_9.html

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About Aerospace Industries Association (AIA)
The Aerospace Industries Association, founded in 1919 only a few years after the birth of flight, is the premier trade association representing the nation’s major aerospace and defense manufacturers.

Based in Arlington, Va., AIA is led by a Board of Governors that meets twice a year and consists of senior representatives (generally chief executive officers) of member companies, and an Executive Committee that meets more frequently. A hallmark of AIA is that it receives its policy guidance from the direct involvement of CEO-level officers of the country’s major aerospace companies. The government frequently seeks advice from AIA on issues, and AIA provides a forum for government and industry representatives to exchange views and resolve problems on non-competitive matters related to the aerospace industry.

Today, more than 300 major aerospace and defense companies and their suppliers are members of the association, embodying every high-technology manufacturing segment of the U.S. aerospace and defense industry from commercial aviation and avionics, to manned and unmanned defense systems, to space technologies and satellite communications.

For more information, visit: http://www.aia-aerospace.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 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.

For more information, visit: http://www.usuaebusiness.org