The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and Citi, a Founding member of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, co-hosted a senior-level conversation in Dubai with a visiting Citi executive on Wednesday, February 12th, 2025 on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit, taking place in Dubai from February 11-13. Candida “Candi” Wolff, Managing Director of Government Affairs at Citi, engaged in a private, off-the-record discussion with U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council members on the second Trump administration’s foreign and economic policies, and key business opportunities and challenges emerging in the current political environment.

Ms. Wolff provided an overview of the second Trump administration’s priorities and the regional impacts of the President’s foreign and economic policies, including the Administration’s tariff and trade strategies. Globally, Ms. Wolff analyzed the geopolitical competition between China and the United States and possible changes in the U.S.-Russia relationship. Ms. Wolff discussed how federal and Congressional processes may affect both President Trump’s foreign and domestic strategies.

Ms. Wolff also discussed bilateral trade and investment dynamics between the United States and the U.A.E., particularly in the energy, manufacturing, and technology sectors. Conversation explored what deals may come next after President Trump’s recent announcements on U.A.E. technology investments in the United States, including DAMAC’s promise of $20 billion in U.S. data centers and Emirati involvement in “Project Stargate.” 

Companies in attendance shared their own insights on the current U.S.-U.A.E. political, defense, and economic relationship and how this relationship may evolve under the Trump administration. They also commented on the possible effects of President Trump’s push to bolster U.S. domestic manufacturing and what this could mean for the bilateral relationship and U.S. business operations in the U.A.E. Additional topics of discussion included the Trump administration’s actions to reduce government regulation to make the U.S. a more attractive business destination and incentives for energy deals with the IRA and tax credits.

For more information about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s financial services programming, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org.