The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council held its biennial IDEX Industry Dinner on Sunday, February 16th at the Rosewood Hotel in Abu Dhabi. The evening provided U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council member companies and partners the opportunity to hear from senior U.S. and U.A.E. officials on bilateral collaboration in the defense sector. The dinner took place on the eve of the International Defense Exhibition and Conference (IDEX), and H.E. Mohamed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, U.A.E. Minister of State for Defense Affairs, was the chief guest. H.E. Ambassador Ali Abdullah Al Ahmad, Assistant Undersecretary for Policies and Defense Communication at the U.A.E. Ministry of Defense, The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer, Governor of Michigan, and Ambassador Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E., also addressed the gathering of private sector leaders and distinguished visitors. 

H.E. Ambassador Ali Abdullah Al Ahmad, Assistant Undersecretary for Policies and Defense Communication at the U.A.E. Ministry of Defense, delivered remarks on behalf of H.E. Mohamed bin Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei. H.E. Al Ahmad lauded the tremendous collaboration between U.S. defense companies and the U.A.E. defense sector and expressed optimism for further cooperation in the future. He commented on the focus of the recent momentum from the World Governments Summit on the importance and impact of artificial intelligence on technologies of the future and predicted that AI will have a significant impact on the defense and security sectors. H.E. highlighted the recent designation of the U.A.E. as a Major Defense Partner of the United States and noted that it was a great opportunity upon which to build. 

Michigan Governor The Honorable Gretchen Whitmer advocated for the state of Michigan and highlighted its robust defense sector, noting opportunities for growth, innovation, partnership, and collaboration. She added that Michigan’s defense and aerospace sectors generate $30 billion in economic activity and support over 166,000 jobs. Governor Whitmer mentioned that Michigan defense companies attending IDEX aim to foster new partnerships and attract investment from international stakeholders, stating that “Michigan is all in on defense and aerospace.”

U.S. Ambassador to the U.A.E. Martina Strong stressed the importance of U.S.-U.A.E. defense and security cooperation, which she remarked is at the foundation of the bilateral relationship. She noted the resolve of both countries to build on five decades of close cooperation and propel the defense and security relationship forward into new areas. She stated that securing hard won gains requires innovation and technology, which is especially important in the current geopolitical context. She also lauded the U.S. defense and security industry as a gold standard globally.

For more information about the U.S.-U.A.E. defense and security relationship, please click
here to read a report published in February 2025 by the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council.

For more information about this event, please contact Amira Siddiqi at asiddiqi@usuaebusiness.org.