Over the past 40 years, the United States and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have developed a close alliance built on security, prosperity, and a common outlook as well as a robust trade relationship.
During the last several years, Ohio and the UAE have forged a prosperous relationship. As of 2016, Ohio was the 7th largest state exporter to the UAE and, in 2017, exported more than $600 million worth of merchandise, a 29 percent increase since 2003. These exports - including aerospace products, chemicals, passenger vehicles, and jet propellers/turbines - support more than 4,000 Ohio jobs. As a result, many Ohio companies including Cleveland Clinic, Jones Day, and Limited Brands, have an increased presence in the UAE.
Cleveland Clinic, in particular, has a strong and historical relationship with the UAE, opening Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi in May 2015 by way of a partnership between Cleveland Clinic and the Mubadala Investment Company.
How can the two countries build on their existing trade partnership? What is the role of the UAE in promoting a positive agenda in the Middle East? What affect will the unrest in the Middle East – the violent conflict in Syria, the elevation of ISIS as a global threat, and other uncertainties - have on the Ohio-UAE relationship? How can the power of international partnerships address some of these issues?
His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba
Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America
Tomislav Mihaljevic, M.D.
CEO, Cleveland Clinic
Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley
Former U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta
