The U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council joined the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates in New York, His Excellency Consul General Abdalla Shaheen, in a visit to upstate New York this week to further strengthen ties with political and business leaders in the New York State Capital Region.

This visit built on the success of last October’s week-long delegation to the U.A.E. by Capital Region business and political leaders that was hosted by the Consul General of the U.A.E. in New York and the Center for Economic Growth, with the support of the Trade and Commercial Office of the U.A.E. Embassy in Washington, D.C., GLOBALFOUNDRIES, and the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council.

From L to R: Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy, U.A.E. Consul General in New York Abdalla Shaheen, Center for Economic Growth President and CEO Andrew Kennedy, and GLOBALFOUNDRIES Executive Greg Connors oversee the signing of a MoU between U.S.-based Livingston Energy Group and U.A.E.-based Volt

During the first day of his visit to the Capital Region, Consul General Shaheen oversaw the signing of an MoU between Dubai-based Volt and Schenectady’s Livingston Energy Group related to electric vehicle charging technology. This MoU was an outgrowth of a meeting the Capital Region trade delegation had with Her Excellency Sara Al Amiri, U.A.E. Minister of State for Advanced Sciences.

After touring the Albany Institute of History and Art, Consul General Shaheen engaged with New York State political leaders including Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie and Assembly member Carrie Woerner. Assembly member Woerner introduced Consul General Shaheen on the Assembly floor and spoke of the impact of U.A.E. investment on the Capital Region.

Later that day, and before a dinner with local business and political leaders, Consul General Shaheen visited SUNY Polytechnic Institute, which is a globally recognized leader in higher education and technology innovation, research, and development. During this visit, Consul General Shaheen reviewed successful efforts to foster public-private and academic partnerships on innovative projects that attract investment and create growth in high technology jobs.

Assembly member Carrie Woerner introduces Consul General Shaheen to the New York State Assembly

During the second day of the Consul General’s visit, Dr. Roger Ramsammy, the President of Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC), welcomed Consul General Shaheen to HVCC’S Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS), which was recently opened to meet the urgent workforce demand for skilled employees in the region. He also toured the College’s Health Technologies Center and Science Center.

Consul General Shaheen then engaged with leadership from GLOBALFOUNDRIES, which is the world’s leading specialty foundry. Mubadala has invested $15 billion in the GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ FAB 8 facility, representing one of the largest public incentive deals in New York’s history. The company’s Fab 8 facility located in Saratoga County, New York employs nearly 3,000 people and supports 15,000 indirect jobs in the region.

From L to R: Dr. Ron Sampson, SVP and GM, US Fab Operations, GLOBALFOUNDRIES; Consul General Abdalla Shaheen, U.A.E. Consul General in New York; Laurie Kelly, VP, Global Communications, GLOBALFOUNDRIES; and Peter Benyon, General Manager, GLOBALFOUNDRIES Fab8

The U.A.E. and New York share a robust and growing trade and commercial relationship. In 2018, New York sent $2 billion worth of exports to the U.A.E. This figure is expected to be even higher when official figures are released for 2019.

The strong business and trade ties between the U.A.E. and New York are supplemented by a range of high-profile partnerships through the arts, sports, and education such as those with The Guggenheim, New York City Football Club, and New York University.