During his official visit to the United States, President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with former U.S. President Donald Trump.
During the meeting, Sheikh Mohamed emphasized that relations between the UAE and the U.S. have flourished for over 50 years thanks to their partnership and common vision of progress and prosperity.
The UAE President expressed his appreciation for Trump’s efforts to strengthen the two countries’ strategic partnership.
Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had met with former President George W Bush, and the two leaders engaged in several discussions, during which they recalled Bush’s historic visit to the UAE in 2008.
Sheikh Mohamed meets Biden, Harris
During the official visit, Sheikh Mohamed held discussions with key figures in the U.S. including President Joe Biden. The two leaders reviewed various aspects of the longstanding bilateral ties, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, the economy, advanced technology, space, renewable energy, climate action, sustainability, and food security.
The UAE and U.S. presidents also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially developments in the Middle East.
Sheikh Mohamed also met with U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House to discuss the longstanding strategic partnership between the UAE and the United States. His Highness and Vice President Harris discussed several regional and international issues of mutual concern.
UAE President meets big tech CEOs
During his visit to the U.S., Sheikh Mohamed also held meetings in Washington D.C. with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, to discuss the rapid advancements in modern technology and artificial intelligence. The meeting focused on the opportunities presented by these technological developments and the growing UAE-U.S. collaboration in the sector.
Meeting with U.S. senators
Sheikh Mohamed also met several U.S. Senators to discuss avenues to enhance UAE-U.S. relations across various sectors, along with other shared interests. Key focus areas of the meeting included the economy, trade and investment, climate action, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, and sustainability.
The strong economic ties between the two nations are also evident in the substantial rise in non-oil foreign trade (excluding services), which surged to $39.5 billion in 2023 from $23.8 billion in 2022.
Sheikh Mohamed also underscored the importance of dialogue and consultation with the U.S. on Middle Eastern matters, recognizing the essential role the U.S. plays in fostering stability and peace in this strategically significant region.
Notably, diplomatic relations between the UAE and the U.S. were established shortly after the UAE’s founding in 1971, with the UAE’s embassy in Washington opening in 1974, the same year the U.S. embassy in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated.
Trade ties get a boost
On the sidelines of the official visit, the UAE and the U.S. signed an agreement that aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries in customs matters. Moreover, it seeks to boost economic, trade, and customs cooperation. The agreement will also enhance the exchange of customs expertise and information between the two countries.
In 2023, UAE imports from the United States reached $25.9 billion, up from $21.3 billion in 2022. Meanwhile, UAE exports to the U.S. increased from $3.2 billion in 2022 to $3.9 billion in 2023.
This agreement reiterated the UAE’s position as a regional gateway for global trade with significant importance to the U.S. as a historical and strategic economic partner for the UAE.
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