During Los Angeles Tour, U.A.E. Officials Highlight Resilience and Expanding U.S. Partnership
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H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi, U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles

“We are not pausing. We are accelerating.” — H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi, U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles, on the U.A.E.’s forward-looking mindset
 
This week, the U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles, U.A.E. Embassy in Washington, D.C., and U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council met with local government officials, senior private sector leaders, and regional economic stakeholders in Los Angeles.  A luncheon business roundtable and an executive visit and tour at Disney’s Headquarters were key elements of the visit. These engagements highlighted the resilience of the U.A.E. economy, the growing depth of U.S.-U.A.E. commercial ties, and the country’s continued focus on innovation, investment, and long-term economic diversification.

From L to R: Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council; H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi, U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles; Karim Gamal, Executive Director, U.A.E. Embassy Trade and Investment Office; and Eric Otjen, Vice President of Zoological Operations at SeaWorld.

Luncheon Reaffirms Business Continuity and Opportunities

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council convened a high-level luncheon discussion on May 20, 2026, at The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles focused on the resilience, stability, and long-term opportunities underpinning the U.S.-U.A.E. trade, investment, and commercial relationship. Convened in partnership with the U.A.E. Consulate General in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation, the discussion brought together senior government officials and private sector leaders to examine the U.A.E.’s economic outlook amid heightened regional tensions and rapidly expanding trade and investment ties between the United States and the U.A.E.

The event featured introductory remarks by U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi, followed by a panel discussion with H.E. Alshuwaihi, Executive Director of the U.A.E. Trade and Investment Office Karim Gamal, and SeaWorld Vice President of Zoological Operations Eric Otjen.

Bottom Line

  • The discussion reinforced that the U.A.E. is increasingly viewed not simply as an oil economy, but as a global hub for AI, life sciences, finance, logistics, tourism, and advanced technologies.
  • Despite heightened regional tensions and direct attacks targeting economic infrastructure, the U.A.E. demonstrated significant economic resilience, with panelists stressing that major investment projects, tourism developments, AI initiatives, and business operations continue advancing uninterrupted.
  • Speakers underscored that the U.S.-U.A.E. relationship is entering a new strategic phase centered on AI, advanced technologies, infrastructure, and long-term investment, with both countries increasingly positioning themselves as partners in shaping the future global economy.

Diversification of the U.A.E. Economy

  • H.E. Alshuwaihi spoke proudly about the U.A.E.’s economic transformation and ambition: “We build things that were not supposed to be possible. This is who we are.”
  • Karim Gamal stressed that the U.A.E. is now “speaking a different language” economically — one centered on artificial intelligence, life sciences, genomics, fintech, and digital infrastructure rather than primarily oil and gas.
  • The discussion also emphasized the rapid growth of the U.A.E.’s tourism and entertainment sectors, including SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Wynn Resorts, and the planned Disneyland Abu Dhabi project. Eric Otjen described the vision behind SeaWorld Abu Dhabi as building, “The biggest and the best aquarium in the world,” underscoring the scale of the U.A.E.’s ambitions in tourism, entertainment, and experiential development.

Business Continuity and Resilience in the U.A.E.

  • A central theme of the discussion was that the U.A.E. has remained stable, operational, and economically resilient despite heightened regional tensions and attacks targeting critical infrastructure. H.E. Alshuwaihi stated: “We did not seek this conflict, but when it came, we were ready and prepared with foresight.”
  • H.E. Alshuwaihi highlighted the “layered safeguards” implemented by U.A.E. leadership to ensure economic continuity, including sophisticated defense systems, diversified supply chains, oil export pipelines bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, resilient infrastructure, and more than $2 trillion in sovereign wealth reserves.
  • Panelists stressed that the U.A.E. continues advancing major economic and strategic initiatives — including AI infrastructure, tourism projects, healthcare investments, and cultural developments — despite regional instability.
  • The discussion underscored that many expatriates and international businesses increasingly view the U.A.E. as a long-term home rather than a temporary destination. Eric Otjen noted: “It really is a testament to the leadership of the country — they told people we are going to take care of you — and they have.”

The Future of the U.S.-U.A.E. Relationship

  • Speakers emphasized the rapid expansion of the U.S.-U.A.E. economic relationship across sectors including AI, life sciences, infrastructure, tourism, energy, logistics, education, and advanced technologies.
  • H.E. Alshuwaihi highlighted that the U.A.E. has already invested more than $1 trillion in the United States, with an additional $1.4 trillion investment commitment planned over the coming decade.
  • Karim Gamal described the bilateral relationship as a long-term strategic partnership centered on innovation and advanced technologies, stating: “We made our choice to partner with the U.S. on AI. We will win the AI race together.”

H.E. Alshuwaihi concluded the discussion by reaffirming the U.A.E.’s openness to international business and investment: “We’re open for business and we’re looking forward to seeing you in the U.A.E.”

From L to R: David Greenhalgh, Executive Vice President, U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council; Jeremy Jepson, Director, Public Affairs and Research for Disney Experiences; Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council; Karim Gamal, Executive Director, U.A.E. Embassy Trade and Investment Office; H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi, U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles; Alannah Hall-Smith, EVP-Communications & Public Affairs for Disney Experiences; Jason Farkas, VP, Communications & Public Affairs for Disney Experiences; and Androu Sidhom, Senior Investment Specialist, U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles

Disney Affirms Confidence in U.A.E.

The Consul General, U.A.E. Trade and Investment Office, and U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council also met with senior executives from The Walt Disney Company at Disney Studios.  These discussions focused on the development of Disney’s upcoming new theme park in Abu Dhabi.

  • Disney Abu Dhabi intends to be the most technologically advanced theme park in the world.
  • This project has come about with unprecedented speed, thanks to the strong partnership Disney has enjoyed with its U.A.E. counterpart Miral.
  • The public response to the announcement of Disney Abu Dhabi has been overwhelmingly positive.
  • The project will have a significant economic impact on Abu Dhabi’s economy, creating new jobs and supporting new categories of economic activity.
  • Disney is “very confident in the future of the U.A.E., the future of their partnership in Miral, and the future of the region.”

Strong U.A.E. Ties with Golden State

The Consul General’s engagements underscored the depth and momentum of U.A.E.-California ties, building on other recent U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council engagements in California, including a reception welcoming the Consul General’s appointment in Los Angeles and a separate event  hosting a visiting U.A.E. AI delegation in San Francisco.

  • Between 2021 and 2025, California exported goods worth $11.4 billion to the U.A.E.  
  • California had a nearly $1.6 billion trade surplus with the U.A.E. in 2025, highlighting the benefit of this trade relationship for Californians.
  • Over 300 Emirati students currently study in California.

The Los Angeles discussion marked the fourth event the Business Council has hosted with U.A.E. Consuls General across the United States in recent months as part of the U.A.E.’s broader effort to deepen subnational commercial engagement throughout the United States. The Business Council also recently hosted events with the U.A.E. Consul General in New York and the U.A.E. Consul General in Miami.

To learn more about the Business Council’s recent programming and broader U.S.-U.A.E. engagement efforts, please contact Maggie Paddock at mpaddock@usuaebusiness.org.