The Eighth US-UAE Economic Policy

On Tuesday the Eighth US-UAE Economic Policy Dialogue on was held in Washington. The dialogue was co-chaired by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs Abdulnasser Alshaali and the US Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Peter Haas to further develop bilateral ties and solidify the economic partnership between the two countries.

During the discussions, both countries reaffirmed their desire to expand engagement and pursue new health research, space program, environmental, and commercial opportunities. Despite the challenges embodied by the current global health situation, both sides applauded the convening of the event with significant in-person participation and emphasized their shared commitment to maintain open and regular communication.

The two delegations confirmed that the US-UAE economic relationship remains close and constructive, with the UAE maintaining its position as the United States’ largest trading partner in the Middle East and North Africa for the twelfth year in a row. They highlighted a number of achievements with respect to women’s economic empowerment, cooperation on economic and social development initiatives, the effectiveness of anti-money laundering and the counter-financing of terrorism policies, improvements in intellectual property protections, and positive developments in the investment climate. They also commended the historic signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020.