The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted a small, private luncheon on Thursday, May 23rd at Cafe Milano in Washington, D.C. in honor of Hana Al Rostamani, the Group CEO of First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and co-Chair of the Business Council’s Board of Directors.

The Business Council convened business executives from prominent U.S. tech, energy, and infrastructure companies as well as experts from Washington’s top think tanks to welcome Ms. Al Rostamani and her delegation to Washington, D.C. Ms. Al Rostamani and the FAB team are visiting New York City and Washington, D.C. to strengthen their ties with the U.S. business community.

First Abu Dhabi Bank is the largest bank in the United Arab Emirates, with over $322 billion in assets under management. It also has a global presence across 20 markets, including in the United States – where it has its U.S. headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Ms. Al Rostamani discussed the ongoing diversification of the U.A.E.’s economy and new areas of bilateral partnership, particularly in technology and the life sciences. She reviewed the increase in trade flows through the U.A.E. as the U.A.E. has established itself as a financial and economic hub between east and west. She noted strong growth over the past year in terms of IPOs, FDI, and debt capital markets. She also detailed the ways companies can utilize FAB’s regional and global network to grow their business.

Attendees discussed landmark new partnerships and investment deals in the U.A.E. by U.S. companies, including Microsoft, Oracle, and Bechtel. They explored areas of cooperation in sustainable finance, building on the legacy of COP28 in areas such as nuclear power. They also reviewed opportunities for multinational businesses operating in the U.A.E. to leverage the raft of Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) signed by the U.A.E. in the past couple years.

Ms. Al Rostamani is one of the most prominent businesswomen in the U.A.E. and the wider Middle East. She became Group CEO of FAB in January 2021, following her roles as FAB’s Deputy CEO and Group Head of Personal Banking.  She has more than 22 years of experience in financial services and serves on the board of the AW Rostamani Group and a member of MasterCard Advisory. Forbes recently featured her in their 2023 “World’s Most Powerful Women” list. She is a graduate of George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

For more information about the U.S.- U.A.E. Business Council’s upcoming programming and activities in the financial sector, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org