H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defense, Interior, and Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.A.E. Federal National Council (FNC), hosted a private Iftar dialogue on Saturday March 15th for select members of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s Board of Directors. This engagement, organized by the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and Microsoft, was held at His Excellency’s private retreat and farm near Abu Dhabi. The Iftar allowed for frank discussion among key U.S. and U.A.E. stakeholders regarding opportunities for collaboration in the U.A.E. and in the region.
His Excellency outlined the ways in which the country is celebrating the Year of Community. His Excellency spoke of the essential and longstanding partnership between the United States and the U.A.E., and the U.A.E.’s status as a dependable and reliable security ally of the United States. He emphasized the importance of mutually beneficial economic partnerships and investments for prosperity, economic growth, and jobs in both countries. He also stressed the need to counter extremism in all its forms to create a strong, stable, and secure region. Group discussion covered the great potential for and new opportunities for collaboration between the United States and the U.A.E., specifically with the new U.S. administration.
His Excellency Al Nuaimi spoke at length about his recent trip to Israel underscoring the U.A.E. leadership’s enduring commitments for peace and stability under the historic Abrahamic Accords. His Excellency also outlined the U.A.E.’s strategy for engagement with African nations and revealed that the U.A.E. is now the single largest state investor in the continent. Finally, His Excellency discussed the U.A.E.’s economic partnership vis-à-vis China and the United States. He underscored that despite a robust trade relationship with China, the U.A.E. is committed to ensuring that agreements made with regard to high technology trade, investments, and collaboration with the United States are sacrosanct.
Finally, Bakhita Al Rumeithi the Executive Director of the Manara Center https://manara.ae for Co-existence and Dialogue, provided a brief overview of the center’s mission and provided details about the Center’s upcoming global conference in May 2025.
H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi is a leading parliamentarian and educator in the United Arab Emirates. A member of the U.A.E. Federal National Council and Chairman of the Defense Affairs, Interior & Foreign Affairs Committee at the Federal National Council, he has become a revered expert on the international stage. As a pioneer of educational reform and policy in the U.A.E., H.E. Dr. Al Nuaimi has served as the Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University and the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. A renowned expert on countering extremism and a prominent advocate of global peace, H.E. Dr. Al Nuaimi is currently serving as the Chairman of the International Steering Board of Hedayah, The International Center of Excellence for Countering Extremism and Violent Extremism based in Abu Dhabi.
For questions about this event, please contact Amira Siddiqi at asiddiqi@usuaebusiness.org.
