On September 21st 2023, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and its partners in the I2U2 Business Coalition signed an MoU with the U.S. Department of State establishing the I2U2 Private Enterprise Partnership during an I2U2 Announcement event that took place via LinkedIn livestream. Senior officials from the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the U.A.E.’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the U.S. Department of State led the event, highlighting the important initiative.
The governments of India, Israel, the U.A.E., and the United States launched the I2U2 Initiative during the I2U2 Leaders’ Summit in July 2022. This partnership aims to identify and capitalize on opportunities for cooperation and investment to address multi-regional challenges in six key sectors: food and water security, energy, space, transportation, health, and technology.
Ronen Levi, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, delivered opening remarks introducing the I2U2 Initiative and Secretary Dammu Ravi of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs discussed I2U2’s progress so far. H.E. Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, U.A.E. Minister of State, then announced the I2U2 official website, which will share information about future opportunities and ongoing collaborations. The ministers underscored their hope that the website will facilitate private sector engagement with the initiative, with H.E. Al Sayegh noting that they “eagerly await groundbreaking project submissions.”
Jose W. Fernandez, Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, announced the I2U2 Private Enterprise Partnership and asked leaders of the I2U2 Business Coalition to sign a Memorandum of Understanding for business collaboration. Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, Faizal Kottikollon, Chairman of the U.A.E.-India Business Council, and Dorian Barak, Co-Founder of the U.A.E.-Israel Business Council signed the partnership on behalf of their respective organizations within the I2U2 Business Coalition.
This MoU establishes an alliance among the participants to combine efforts, resources, and ideas to build private sector awareness of the I2U2 Initiative. It seeks to mobilize the private sectors within the I2U2 countries to “harness the vast opportunities the I2U2 framework presents” by identifying, exploring, and participating in projects in key sectors.
This initiative continues the Business Council’s work alongside its counterparts in India, Israel, and the U.A.E. to foster private sector engagement within the I2U2 Initiative. In April 2023, the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a launch event for the I2U2 Business Coalition representing the four I2U2 countries in collaboration with the U.A.E.-India Business Council and the U.A.E.-Israel Business Council. The I2U2 Business Coalition signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Jose W. Fernandez, Undersecretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment; H.E. Sripriya Ranganathan, the Indian Deputy Chief of Mission to the United States; Mr. Eliav Benjamin, the Israeli Deputy Chief of Mission to the United States; and H.E. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, U.A.E. Ambassador to the United States.
In May 2023, the I2U2 Business Coalition hosted its first event in Israel on the sidelines of the Herzliya Conference. Representatives from the Indian and U.S. Missions to Israel discussed the resources and incentives they provide to businesses looking to engage in the I2U2 business community within critical sectors. A panel discussion of Israeli companies in the sustainability and water management industry highlighted opportunities to bring innovative technologies to diverse markets. The I2U2 Business Coalition is planning further events and initiatives in India and the U.A.E.
For more information about this and other events relating to the I2U2 Business Coalition, please contact Amira Siddiqi at asiddiqi@usuaebusiness.org.
