U.A.E. Commercial Attaché Discusses A:5 Designation, Pax Silica, and Expanding U.S.-U.A.E. Investment
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(L to R)  President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council Danny Sebright; U.A.E. Commercial Attaché to the United States Jawaher AlMheiri.

“Most days, the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relationship is a superhighway with traffic moving in both directions. My job is to keep that traffic going — my biggest priority is to be responsive in a timely way to policy and commercial requests.” – Jawaher AlMheiri, U.A.E. Commercial Attaché to the United States.

The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a private roundtable lunch in Washington, D.C. on July 29, 2026 with Jawaher AlMheiri, U.A.E. Commercial Attaché to the United States. The lunch discussion brought together U.S. and U.A.E. government officials and private sector leaders to discuss the continued growth of the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial, trade, and investment relationship.

In her current role, Ms. AlMheiri leads the U.A.E. Mission’s commercial engagement across the United States, working with national and state-level government officials, business leaders, and investors to advance bilateral trade and investment. She coordinates closely with U.A.E. Consulates in New York, Miami, and Los Angeles.

This conversation complemented the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s recent luncheon with the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce Mark Mitchell on continued momentum in the bilateral commercial relationship. 

In her remarks, Ms. AlMheiri described the U.A.E. Embassy’s role in supporting two-way commercial engagement, noting that every day her team works to “help American companies discover opportunities in the U.A.E. while helping Emirati capital find a home in the United States.”


The U.A.E.’s A:5 Designation & the U.S.-U.A.E. Technology Partnership

Ms. AlMheiri spoke at length about the U.A.E.’s decision to align its AI and advanced technology ecosystem with the United States, and why, in turn, the U.S. decided to elevate the U.A.E.’s export-control status in July 2026. 

  • “On technology, the U.A.E. has made its choice. We are all in on American AI and American technology. We are not hedging, and we are not diversifying across our competitors. Our choice is clear: we have chosen the United States.”
  • Ms. AlMheiri highlighted the significance of the U.S. government’s recent decision to remove the U.A.E. from a more restrictive grouping and elevate it to an “A:5” export-control status. 
  • “The A:5 designation did not come overnight. It was built over time through trust and partnership, day by day.”


Growing Bilateral Investment & Trade

The discussion focused on several key themes shaping the next phase of the bilateral economic partnership. Ms. AlMheiri emphasized the continued momentum across sectors including artificial intelligence, infrastructure, energy, healthcare, space, and digital infrastructure, and highlighted the importance of sustained collaboration between government and industry. Key discussion highlights included: 

  • Ms. AlMheiri highlighted the unprecedented scale of the bilateral commercial relationship, noting that U.S.-U.A.E. trade reached a record $39 billion last year, the U.A.E. remains the United States’ largest export market in the Middle East, and the country has already invested more than $1 trillion in the United States while committing an additional $1.4 trillion over the coming decade.
  • Ms. AlMheiri stressed that the U.A.E. remains committed to its long-term commercial priorities. She said, “We want to make sure everyone knows that the U.A.E. remains open for business. Our economy is built on resilience, even in tough times. We will come out of this stronger alongside our partners in the United States.”
  • She noted that the Embassy has tracked more than 13 new bilateral deals worth more than $10 billion since the start of the recent regional conflict in late February 2026, demonstrating that major projects continue to move forward despite uncertainty. She added, “This is a vote of confidence in our stability.”
  • Ms. AlMheiri reaffirmed that implementation of the U.A.E.’s $1.4 trillion investment framework in the United States continues to advance ahead of schedule. She added, “We are not slowing down; if anything, we are accelerating.”
  • In this regard, Ms. AlMheiri reviewed the U.A.E.’s focus on building closer relationships at the regional and state level across the United States. 

Pax Silica & the Next Phase of AI Cooperation

During the discussion, Ms. AlMheiri also shared her perspectives on the evolution of the U.S.-U.A.E. partnership and the importance of the trust built between both governments over many years, which has enabled initiatives such as Pax Silica and broader AI cooperation—building on her recent publication on the topic.

  • She noted that the U.A.E. is investing hundreds of billions of dollars across the American AI ecosystem and highlighted Pax Silica and the U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership as establishing “a new standard of what trusted partnership can look like.”
  • She also pointed to continued progress on the planned 5 GW U.A.E.-U.S. AI Campus, with the first 500 MW expected to come online this year.

Looking Ahead

Looking ahead, Ms. AlMheiri emphasized that the Embassy’s priorities extend well beyond traditional sectors, focusing on opportunities at the intersection of artificial intelligence, energy, emerging technologies, healthcare, and financial services. She noted that the recent A:5 designation will create new opportunities for both American and Emirati companies operating across these industries.

For more information about the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s events, please contact Maggie Paddock at mpaddock@usuaebusiness.org.