The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted Mr. Paul Malik, Consul General, U.S. Consulate in Dubai, for a luncheon and policy discussion on Tuesday in Washington D.C.  The luncheon provided public and private-sector stakeholders with an opportunity to hear Mr. Malik’s views on the U.S.-U.A.E. commercial relationship and the many business opportunities for U.S. firms in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.

Following an introduction by Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, Mr. Malik highlighted areas of success in the trade relationship, underscoring the U.A.E.’s importance as a regional trading hub and Dubai as a gateway to Africa and Asia.  Furthermore, Mr. Malik discussed Dubai’s role in recent developments impacting regional geopolitics.

In his remarks, Mr. Malik said, “I have been incredibly impressed with Dubai’s dynamism and the leadership’s vision for the future.  One of my primary priorities in Dubai is to expand trade and investment between the United States and the U.A.E.  The numbers speak for themselves – more than $25 billion in total trade last year.  The U.S.-U.A.E. relationship is broad, encompassing the full spectrum of cultural, political, diplomatic, economic, military, and security ties.  The increasing volume of trade reflects the strength of our overall bilateral ties.”

U.S. Consul General, U.S. Consulate in Dubai, Paul Malik, discussing the U.S.-U.A.E. business relationship with a focus on Dubai

Before opening the floor to questions, Mr. Sebright lauded Mr. Malik for his contribution in strengthening the U.S.-U.A.E. partnership.

“The U.S.-U.A.E. relationship is based on three pillars. The first and the most historic, is our diplomatic and political relationship. The second is the defense and security bond. The third symbolizes our economic and trade relations. I would like to thank Mr. Malik for his successful work in supporting these pillars and expanding the robust bilateral relationship by helping bring best in class American industry to the United Arab Emirates,” Mr. Sebright said.

Stakeholders engaged Mr. Malik on the challenges facing U.S. businesses in the U.A.E. including forthcoming taxes on businesses, and lingering effects of low oil prices.

Mr. Sebright concluded the luncheon by thanking Mr. Malik and the business community for their participation.

For your information, Consul General Paul Malik’s biography can be found below.
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Paul R. Malik
U.S. Consul General
Consulate General of the United States, Dubai

Paul R. Malik took up his duties as U.S. Consul General in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on September 5, 2015. Mr. Malik was most recently Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in the Sultanate of Oman. Mr. Malik is a career member of the U.S. Senior Foreign Service, having served for 23 years in the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe.

Previously, Mr. Malik was the Director of the International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Office at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, where he managed a budget of $35 million, leading the State Department’s efforts to build the capacity of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces. Prior to his posting in Beirut, he was the Counselor for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Athens, Greece, from 2009-12, during that country’s economic collapse and the EU sovereign debt crisis. Mr. Malik also headed Turkish Affairs at the State Department’s Office of Southeastern Europe from 2006-08. Prior to working on Turkish Affairs, Mr. Malik was the Deputy Director of the State Department’s Office of Multilateral Trade Affairs, where he participated in the World Trade Organization Doha Round negotiations with the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Much of Mr. Malik’s diplomatic career has been in or associated with the Middle East and North Africa, having also served in Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, as well as having worked on Egyptian Affairs in Washington. But, he also enjoyed a tour in Ireland.

Mr. Malik holds a B.A. from Swarthmore College, and pursued graduate studies at Georgetown University. He speaks, to varying degrees of fluency, Arabic, French, and Greek. Mr. Malik is an avid scuba diver and collector of ancient Greek and Roman coins.