US-UAE relations are prosperous

Abu Dhabi: A prosperous and cooperative relationship is expanding between the UAE and the United States, according to a senior official.

US Ambassador to the UAE Richard Olson grabbed everybody's attention in a lecture titled "US-UAE Relations: Past, Present and Future". The lecture took place yesterday at Zayed University Abu Dhabi campus and lasted around an hour and was followed by the students' questions.

The top US diplomat drew an optimistic future for the two countries. The strength of the alliance between the UAE and the United States spreads beyond economical interdependence, he said.

He said an increasingly dense commercial relationship has developed with "over 30,000 Americans living and working in the UAE, and over 750 American companies doing business, too."

Strength in business is not just "in traditional sectors such as oil and gas and defence, but also [there is] rapid growth in civil aviation and innovative business partnerships, including GE's relationship with Mubadala, and Boeing's cooperation with Masdar, to name a few," Olson noted.

"In the education field, American universities such as New York University and Michigan State University have opened landmark campuses" and "the Embassy and Consulate General have returned to issuing student visas at the same level as in 2001."

Relations between the two continue to grow with the United States taking part in the UAE visions and future plans notably in the future of energy domain.