Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) while leading a CODEL to the U.A.E. discussed the U.S.-U.A.E. bilateral relationship with U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council member companies at a roundtable discussion on Saturday, May 1st in Dubai’s Ritz Carlton DIFC. The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted the event and U.S. Consul General in Dubai, Philip Frayne, chaired this important discussion. 

The small, in-person event offered industry representatives the opportunity to engage directly with the senators, both of whom are important members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  Free-flowing discussion covered the importance of the U.A.E. and the region to U.S. businesses, key policy areas like digital and data privacy, industrial localization requirements, and important concerns related to Chinese competition and intellectual property. U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council member companies in attendance represented a wide range of business sectors including finance, infrastructure, digital and tech, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, professional services, and defense. The Chairs of the U.S. AmChams in Abu Dhabi and Dubai also attended the meeting. 

Senator Chris Coons, a key Biden ally, and Senator Chris Van Hollen are in the Gulf to discuss regional security issues including those related to Iran, Afghanistan, and the Horn of Africa. The Senators met with U.A.E. leadership in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In a meeting with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the senators discussed the importance of the strategic U.S.-U.A.E. alliance and committed to “promoting development and prosperity for their peoples.” 

For more information about Business Council programming, please contact Mary Zuccarello at mzuccarello@usuaebusiness.org or visit our website at www.usuaebusiness.org.