• Ambassador Credentials
HE Yousef Al Otaiba, United Arab Emirates Ambassador in Washington, DC, presented his credentials to President George W. Bush at the White House on July 28, 2008. He succeeded HE Ambassador Saqr Ghobash, who had served at the post since March 2006.
• Global Philanthropy
Dubai Cares, a UAE-based charitable establishment, was launched on September 19, 2007 by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Prime Minister and Vice-President and Ruler of Dubai. Dubai Cares aims to improve children's access to primary education in developing countries.
• UAE-US Education Partnerships
The UAE government and the individual Emirates have forged numerous partnerships with US institutions aimed at improving education in the UAE, and promoting exchanges between Western and Arab cultures.
• Alternative Energy in the UAE
In April 2006, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, launched Masdar, a multi-faceted, multi-billion dollar investment in renewable and alternative energy and clean technology. Masdar is helping to explore, develop and commercialize such future energy sources.
Masdar, which means “the source” in Arabic, has four primary objectives:
• Breast Cancer Education
A study in the UAE shows that 60 percent of women over the age of 50 may develop breast cancer. The number of deaths caused by breast cancer has been rising dramatically, with doctors saying that diagnostic techniques have not improved significantly and that many women are too shy or uneducated to seek medical care. This lack of awareness of the benefits of regular medical checkups results in many diagnoses being made 6 to 10 years after the onset of breast cancer.
• Kalima
Kalima, a non-profit initiative based in Abu Dhabi, funds the translation, publication, and distribution of high-quality works of classic and contemporary writing from other languages into Arabic.
• Abu Dhabi Cultural District
Saadiyat Island—or “Island of Happiness”—embodies Abu Dhabi's vision to be a regional cultural center. The island’s Cultural District will include eight museums housed in buildings designed by world-renowned architects such as Jean Nouvel, Tadao Ando, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid.
• Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa, the tallest man-made structure ever built, opened to the public on January 4th, 2010. The super-skyscraper aspires to be an icon of the new Middle East: prosperous, dynamic and successful.
With a final height of more than 2,600 feet, the Burj Khalifa houses corporate offices, residential suites, four luxury pools, restaurants and other amenities. Now completed, the tip of the Burj Khalifa's spire can be seen by a person 60 miles away.
• Katrina Aid
The UAE helps friends and neighbors when disaster strikes. Its global foreign aid and development budget totals $15 billion annually, with donations and in-kind support made directly to governments, as well as through organizations such as the Red Crescent.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the UAE provided $100 million for relief work to the United States. The donation, made directly to the US government, has been used for a variety of recovery and rebuilding projects and helped thousands of children and families.
• Security and Stability in the Gulf
The UAE and the United States share a common resolve to preserve security and stability in the Gulf region. Recognizing the possible threats to such stability, the United States has found in the UAE a source of peace and tolerance.
This mutual confidence has allowed the UAE to play a vital role in ensuring stability in the Gulf. The UAE has turned to the United States as a major defense supplier, to help ensure interoperability of forces.
• Combating Human Trafficking
The UAE government is committed to the global effort to combat human trafficking, and works closely with international and regional law enforcement officials to apprehend and punish violators of human trafficking laws.
• American University of Sharjah
With 5,000 students from more than 80 nations, the American University of Sharjah (AUS) is one of few US-accredited institutions of higher learning in the UAE.
AUS was founded in 1997 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qassimi, Member of the Supreme Council of the UAE and Ruler of Sharjah. He envisioned the university as a leading educational institution in the Gulf region.
• Economic Partnerships
The US-UAE Business Council, created in 2007, demonstrates how business-to-business initiatives drive the expanding commercial relationship between the UAE and the United States.
• Pediatric Mobile Health Clinic
Just as children around the United States are familiar with Children’s Hospital’s “Dr.
