Washington: Saeed Al Hajeri, Minister of State, led a UAE delegation during an official visit to Washington, D.C., where he held a series of meetings with senior US officials to advance strategic cooperation between the two countries.The delegation included Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology. During the visit, UAE officials met with representatives from the US Department of Commerce, the Department of the Treasury, the Office of the US Trade Representative and the Department of State.Al Hajeri also held discussions with the US G20 Sherpa, reaffirming the UAE’s commitment, as a host country, to supporting the priorities of the G20 US Presidency.The visit comes amid growing economic ties between the UAE and the United States. Bilateral trade exceeded US$40 billion in 2025, marking a 12 percent increase year-on-year. The UAE also maintained its position as the top US export destination in the Middle East and North Africa for the 17th consecutive year, with US exports to the UAE supporting more than 205,000 American jobs across sectors including technology, energy, advanced manufacturing and critical minerals.A key element of the partnership is the UAE’s commitment of US$1.4 trillion in investment and economic impact in the United States over a ten-year period. In the first year following its announcement in March 2025, UAE entities exceeded targets in sectors such as artificial intelligence infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, financial services and energy.During the meetings, Al Hajeri emphasised the UAE’s commitment to strengthening its strategic partnership with the United States through increased trade, shared investments and private sector collaboration. He highlighted the UAE’s role as a global hub for trade and investment and expressed interest in expanding cooperation across areas including financial regulation, innovation, artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and energy.Both sides also discussed issues related to anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing, sanctions evasion and emerging financial threats, reflecting a shared commitment to safeguarding global financial systems.Al Hajeri said the visit underscores the strength of the UAE-US partnership and their joint efforts to build a more resilient, transparent and secure global financial environment through continued coordination and knowledge exchange.
