Los Angeles Welcomes New U.A.E. Consul General and Further Strengthens U.A.E.-California Ties
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(L to R) President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council Danny Sebright; Executive Director of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council Jeffrey Baum; Consul General of the U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi; Chair of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & 24th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration The Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet; Deputy Mayor of International Affairs for the City of Los Angeles Dilpreet Sidhu; Board Member at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & Los Angeles Managing Partner at KPMG Michelle Wroan

The U.A.E. and Los Angeles share a vibrant, future-focused partnership based on shared values and mutually beneficial partnerships. Our collaboration in healthcare, technology, innovation, AI, entertainment, and sustainable energy is creating new opportunities for both of our economies and people.” – H.E.Hessa Alshuwaihi, Consul General of the U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles

On Thursday, February 19th, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, in partnership with the U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles and Los Angeles World Affairs Council (LAWAC), hosted a welcome reception honoring the new Consul General of the U.A.E. Consulate in LA H.E. Hessa Alshuwaihi. The reception provided an opportunity for government, business, and community leaders to connect with U.A.E. diplomats and trade officials. Opportunities to broaden civic, cultural, and trade ties were on full display.

Featured speakers included the Deputy Mayor of International Affairs for the City of Los Angeles Dilpreet Sidhu and Chair of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council & 24th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration The Honorable Maria Contreras-Sweet. Other honored guests included multiple members of the diplomatic corps and the Los Angeles Chief of Police.

Deepening U.A.E., California, and Los Angeles Commercial Ties:

As Consul General, Her Excellency Alshuwaihi will strengthen commercial, investment and cultural ties that have made California a cornerstone of the U.A.E.’s engagement in the United States. From 2020 through 2024, California exported $10.1 billion in goods to the U.A.E., supporting 16,000 jobs in the state last year alone.U.A.E. investment continues to fuel growth across key sectors – technology, clean energy, transportation and advanced manufacturing – where both California and the U.A.E. are recognized as global leaders.

Other key highlights of the California-U.A.E. business, trade, and investment relationship include the following:

  • California’s exports to the U.A.E. amounted to $2.8 billion in 2024; the Computer/Electronics Products sector was a key driver.
  • California’s trade surplus with the U.A.E. reached $1.1 billion in 2024.
  • California’s port-driven trade activity with the U.A.E. reached $2.2 billion in 2024, ranking 4th among U.S. states.
  • Trade between California and the U.A.E. drove the creation of approximately 16,000 jobs in 2024.
H.E. Consul General Hessa Alshuwaihi introduces herself as the new U.A.E. Consul General in Los Angeles to local government, business, and community leaders.

Key Private Sector Drivers in the Economic Relationship:

“The U.A.E. is investing aggressively in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, space, clean energy, healthcare, and next-generation infrastructure — and it sees the United States, and particularly innovation hubs like Los Angeles and California, as essential partners in that journey.” – Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council

Highlights of U.A.E.-California private sector engagement include:

  • Civil Aviation: Emirates operates nonstop service from Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) to Dubai.
  • Entertainment: In May 2025, The Walt Disney Company announced plans to open a new theme park on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, in strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi-firm Miral. 
  • Sports: In May 2025, Mubadala committed $10 billion to acquire a stake in California-based TWG Global, expanding into U.S. sports and entertainment. This investment supports high-profile franchises like the Dodgers and Lakers and is expected to generate jobs across sports media, venue operations and team development. 
  • Technology: The U.A.E. maintains strategic partnerships with leading U.S. technology players in California to accelerate AI adoption, cloud infrastructure deployment, advanced semiconductor integration, and digital transformation across government and industry. Most recently in September 2025, MGX co-invested with Silver Lake to acquire a majority stake in Intel’s Altera business, a leading California-based programmable chip division. 
  • Healthcare: In January 2025, M42 acquired 100% of Diaverum’s dialysis centers in California and Texas in a $2.4 billion deal. The move expands M42’s global kidney care platform while retaining local U.S. medical teams and strengthening long-term clinical capacity in two high-need states. The U.A.E. has also deepened its healthcare collaboration with leading California institutions such as Stanford Medicine and Cedars-Sinai, advancing joint research, clinical training, and innovation in precision medicine, digital health, and AI-enabled care delivery.

For more information on U.A.E.-California bilateral deal flow, please see here.

About the U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles & New Consul General:

In 2014, the U.A.E. opened its first Consulate in the United States in Los Angeles. The U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles serves U.A.E. nationals and promotes bilateral cooperation across California and 12 other western states, supporting initiatives that drive economic development, job creation and cultural exchange. The growing number of nonstop flights between the U.A.E. and California further demonstrates the strength and potential of this relationship, with daily services connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco to Dubai.

Prior to her appointment in Los Angeles, she led communications and public diplomacy at the U.A.E. Embassy in Washington, DC and advanced the U.A.E.’s foreign policy objectives through her work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Consul General Alshuwaihi holds a master’s degree in diplomacy and international affairs from Zayed University and a bachelor’s degree in applied media from the Higher Colleges of Technology. She also earned a postgraduate diploma in U.A.E. Diplomacy and International Relations from the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy.

Learn more about the U.A.E. Consulate in Los Angeles here.

To learn more about the Los Angeles World Affairs Council, please see here.
 

For more details on the U.A.E.’s fast-evolving business landscape, please consult the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and Morgan Lewis’s Guide to Doing Business in the U.A.E. and to learn more about the Business Council’s programming and this event, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org.