Washington, D.C. — AmCham Abu Dhabi, AmCham MENA, and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council hosted an export promotion reception featuring keynote remarks by Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) Chairman & President Fred Hochberg and Assistant Secretary of State for Business and Economic Affairs Jose W. Fernandez in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday. The reception brought together business executives, government officials, and Washington’s broader policy community to network with AmCham Abu Dhabi and AmCham MENA representatives in town for their annual ‘D.C. Advocacy Week’.
Danny Sebright, president of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, provided opening remarks and introduced Mr. Hochberg to kick off the event. In his comments, Sebright lauded AmCham Abu Dhabi and AmCham MENA for their successful work in advancing a shared mission to boost U.S. business and exports overseas — especially in the dynamic MENA region. Sebright also took a moment to thank Mr. Gregory Golden, Chairman of AmCham Abu Dhabi, for his service as he prepares to step down from the position in the coming weeks. In introducing Mr. Hochberg, Sebright pointed to the Ex-Im Chairman’s long career of public service and his commitment to responsible business practices in the U.S. and with international partners like the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Before turning the stage over to Hochberg, Sebright added that the Ex-Im Bank Chairman had just returned from a trip to the U.A.E. and noted the strong relationship between senior members of the U.S. Government and key counterparts in the MENA region.
Following Sebright’s introduction, Hochberg took the podium to provide the audience with an overview of the Ex-Im Bank’s recent accomplishments and future outlook on engagement with countries in the MENA region. In his remarks, Hochberg highlighted an agreement signed between the Ex-Im Bank and the Dubai Economic Council last week and his recent trip to the U.A.E. to underline the Obama Administration’s keenness to develop stronger relationships with key international partners. He also noted that the Ex-Im Bank plays an important role in realizing President Obama’s National Export Initiative and applauded the visiting AmCham executives for their commitment to boosting American business globally.
Following Hochberg’s remarks, Gregory Golden, Chairman of AmCham Abu Dhabi, provided some background information on the mission of D.C. Advocacy Week and introduced Assistant Secretary Fernandez. In his comments, Golden pointed to the partnerships with the U.S. and U.A.E. governments as well as with the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council as key to achieving record U.S. export numbers to the U.A.E. over the past few years. In introducing Assistant Secretary Fernandez, Golden applauded Fernandez’s inclusive approach to meeting trade and commercial objectives shared by the Emirati and American public and private sectors as well as his keenness to cultivate entrepreneurship in the MENA region.
After Golden’s introduction, Assistant Secretary Fernandez provided the audience with a brief overview of U.S. economic policy toward advancing MENA commerce and trade. In his remarks, Fernandez highlighted the State Department’s efforts to work with public and private sector partners to fuel economic growth in the MENA region and to encourage entrepreneurship among the region’s young population. He pointed to the recent U.S.-U.A.E. Economic Policy Dialogue (EPD) that took place in March as a benchmark for increased and institutionalized U.S. partnership in the region.
During the event, government officials and business executives openly discussed issues and developments impacting U.S.-MENA trade and commerce. A few common topics included foreign ownership and visa regulations, U.S. export policy, and geopolitical developments impacting business in the MENA region.
AmCham Abu Dhabi and AmCham MENA executives will remain in Washington, D.C. for the remainder of the week to conduct advocacy meetings with senior U.S. government officials on the Hill and in the Obama Administration.
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About AmCham MENA:
AmCham MENA is a trade association established in 2005 comprised of the AmChams located in the U.A.E., Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, and Tunisia. The objectives of AmCham MENA are to foster increased collaboration and cooperation among its members in coordination with the Middle East section of the International Division of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to promote greater business opportunities and free trade policies between the United States and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region, and to advocate for sensible U.S. policies that advance and protect the interests of American taxpayers living and working overseas. For more information, visit: www.amchammena.org
About AmCham Abu Dhabi:
AmCham Abu Dhabi (the American Business Group of Abu Dhabi) is a member of the global network of American Chambers of Commerce. The AmCham Abu Dhabi mission is to promote the development of commerce, investment, and goodwill between the United States of America, the membership, the American community, and the Emirate of Abu Dhabi through active membership participation. AmCham Abu Dhabi is an independent, not-for-profit association comprised of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium sized companies and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs. AmCham Abu Dhabi provides a uniquely situated platform through which executives pursue and discuss issues affecting business between the U.S. and the U.A.E. Substantive government advocacy programs, educational and networking programs and customized business service are just a few of the many benefits AmCham Abu Dhabi provides its members. For more information, visit: www.amchamabudhabi.org.
About the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council:
The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council is a progressive business advocacy organization solely committed to the advancement of the trade and commercial relationship between the United States and the United Arab Emirates. The Business Council actively works to ensure that the U.S. and U.A.E. remain attractive destinations for foreign direct investment by conducting effective policy advocacy, undertaking various trade promotion initiatives, providing ongoing updates on the business climate in both countries, and helping develop strategic relationships between U.S. and U.A.E. business and government officials. For more information, visit: www.usuaebusiness.org.
