The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council invites you to a roundtable lunch conversation with Mark Mitchell, Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Middle East and Africa within the International Trade Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce. This event will be held on Wednesday, July 8th, 2026 at 1:00PM EST at the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s offices at 2001 K St. NW, Washington, D.C.
Join the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council for an off-the-record exchange discussing:
- the continued growth of the U.S.-U.A.E. economic and trade relationship, including the recent U.S. Department of Commerce export numbers ranking the U.A.E. as the U.S.’s largest export market in the broader Middle East for the 17th consecutive year;
- updates on the U.S.-U.A.E. AI Acceleration Partnership;
- with the U.A.E. as a hub, emerging opportunities in the broader Middle East region for U.S. companies in artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, energy, critical minerals, digital infrastructure, and other strategic sectors driving economic competitiveness; and
- the U.S. Department of Commerce’s priorities for advancing U.S. trade, investment, and commercial engagement with the U.A.E.
Deputy Assistant Secretary Mitchell oversees the U.S. Department of Commerce’s commercial engagement and trade promotion efforts across the Middle East and Africa and works closely with government counterparts, business leaders, and U.S. companies throughout the region. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, he spent more than three decades building and advising technology and innovation-driven businesses, with extensive experience supporting entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, and economic development initiatives across the Middle East, including the U.A.E. Please read his bio.
Please register for this event here or at the link below.
For questions regarding the event, please contact Caitlin Cottrell at ccottrell@usuaebusiness.org.