UAE leader heads home from U.S. carrying economic dividends
The two leaders noted the $1.5 billion AI investment deal between Microsoft and Group 42 as emblematic of growing U.S.-Emirati technology cooperation
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House on Sept. 23. (Getty Images)
UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed wrapped up his U.S. tour with a stop at former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. He also met with former President George W. Bush in Texas and held a phone conversation with former President Bill Clinton before flying home to Abu Dhabi.
The centerpiece of the U.S. visit was a visit to the White House at the beginning of the week after which the Emirati leader and President Joe Biden issued a 3,900-word joint statement outlining the relationship of the two countries as “dynamic strategic partners.”
Focused in large part on the U.S.-Emirati economic alliance, the statement took note of the $1.5 billion artificial intelligence investment deal between Microsoft and the UAE’s Group 42, as emblematic of the growing technology cooperation between the two countries.
The two leaders “underscored that this transformative partnership has the potential to usher in a new era of international connectivity to facilitate global trade, expand reliable access to electricity, facilitate clean energy distribution, and strengthen telecommunication,” the joint statement said.
Biden and Sheikh Mohammed “emphasized the importance of joint initiatives to promote a circular economy, reduce waste, facilitate recycling, and advance sustainable practices, underscoring their commitment to innovation for resource efficiency and environmentally responsible growth,” the statement said.
The statement also called attention to promising regional initiatives including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor that will seek to connect India to Europe with ship-to-rail connections through the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and Greece.