UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Visits Silicon Valley to Forge Tech Partnerships

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, has concluded a successful visit to San Francisco and nearby Silicon Valley, which was aimed at boosting economic cooperation and exploring partnerships between the UAE and the United States, especially in the field of advanced technology. HE Dr. Thani held a number of discussions with stakeholders, leading technology companies and local entrepreneurs during which he sought to identify potential partnerships in high-priority fields such as AI, machine learning, and climate tech.

In his meetings, His Excellency outlined the UAE’s advanced technology ambitions as well as its investment-friendly business environment, extending an invitation to US investors, start-ups, and skilled professionals to explore opportunities for expansion it offers. Discussions focused on joint projects, research collaboration, and exchange of knowledge and expertise in cutting-edge disciplines such as artificial intelligence, data analytics and sustainable technologies.

HE Dr. Al Zeyoudi’s visit to the US underlines the UAE’s commitment to securing global partnerships to accelerate its industrial and technological capabilities, and to further bolstering the nation’s position as a destination for investment and innovation.

The West Coast of the US is the global epicenter of technology and innovation, and the UAE has much to gain from closer ties to Silicon Valley’s vibrant ecosystem. This visit is an important part of our efforts to establish long-standing partnerships, at both the private-sector, public-sector and academic levels, to leverage their knowledge and experience and accelerate the UAE’s technological capabilities. Technology is a key pillar of our economic growth and diversification agenda and it’s vital we can build productive and mutually beneficial relations with the world’s leading exponents.

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, UAE

The United States is the UAE’s third-largest trading partner globally, accounting for 5.6% of the UAE’s total non-oil trade. In 2023, bilateral non-oil trade reached US$40 billion (AED 145.1 billion), a growth of 20.1% compared to 2022. The UAE is America’s most important trading partner in the Arab World, with bilateral trade comprising 27% of the USA’s non-oil trade with the region. In terms of investments, the UAE has US$38.1 billion in assets in the US, which is more than 50% of the total FDI from Arab countries in America at the end of 2022. These investments are mainly in transportation, business services, software and IT services, real estate, food and beverages, and aerospace. For its part, US investments in the UAE totaled US$4.3 billion at the end of 2021.