Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Concludes Official Visit to Washington

Reinforces UAE–U.S. Strategic Partnership in Meetings with Senior Administration Officials and Members of Congress

Washington, D.C. (27 February 2026) – H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, concluded an official visit to Washington, DC, where he held high-level bilateral meetings with senior U.S. Administration officials and Members of the Senate. During the meetings, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah and the U.S. officials discussed the importance of preserving regional stability, countering extremism and further strengthening the UAE–U.S. partnership.

In his meeting with Vice President JD Vance, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah reaffirmed the enduring strategic partnership between the UAE and the United States, emphasizing cooperation across economic growth, advanced technology, energy security, defense and shared efforts to support regional stability.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the UAE’s constructive role in the Middle East to encourage diplomacy and dialogue, deliver humanitarian aid and stop the spread of extremist ideologies.

Both sides exchanged views on regional security challenges and emphasized the need to avoid escalation, maintain open channels of communication and pursue diplomatic pathways that enhance long-term stability.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah also met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum, Senior Advisor for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos, Undersecretary for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg and Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun.

Discussions with the senior Trump Administration officials highlighted substantial progress toward the UAE’s pledge to invest $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over the next 10 years – building on more than $1 trillion already invested. The talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties to support mutual interests, enhance trade and expand cooperation in artificial intelligence and advanced technology.

In 2025, bilateral trade between the UAE and U.S. reached $39 billion. The UAE has been the U.S.’s top export destination in the MENA region since 2009 – and one of the few countries with which the U.S. enjoys a consistent global trade surplus.

Last year, the U.S. approved the first allocation of advanced American semiconductors to the UAE. Frameworks such as the U.S.-UAE Acceleration Partnership and Pax Silica reinforce the two countries’ strategic alignment and shared commitment to security.

“After 54 years of partnership, the trust between the UAE and U.S. has never been stronger,” said UAE Ambassador to the U.S. Yousef Al Otaiba. “Our countries are working together to quickly and responsibly scale advanced technology, facilitate investments that create economic growth and build lasting peace and stability across the Middle East.”

During the visit, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah also met with Members of the Senate, including Senators Chris Van Hollen, Andy Kim, Jacky Rosen, Brian Schatz and Mark Warner, in engagements that reflected broad bipartisan support for the longstanding UAE-U.S. partnership.

In addition to official meetings, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah engaged with leading policy experts and thought leaders in Washington to exchange views on regional developments and opportunities to deepen bilateral cooperation between the UAE and U.S.

While in Washington, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah joined a distinguished group of heads of state, senior officials and international decision-makers at the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace convened by President Donald Trump. H.H. Sheikh Abdullah commended President Trump and U.S. officials for their partnership and support for long-term stability in the region. During the meeting, the UAE committed an additional $1.2 billion to support Gaza. As Gaza’s largest humanitarian donor since 2023, the UAE’s latest pledge adds to nearly $3 billion in total aid delivered to date — 45% of all international assistance to the Strip.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah’s visit reaffirmed a strategic partnership built on decades of trust and shared interests. The UAE works closely with the U.S. to advance peace, stability, shared prosperity and responsible innovation, including setting global standards for the secure development of nuclear energy and artificial intelligence.

The UAE delegation accompanying H.H. Sheikh Abdullah included H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the U.S.; H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; and H.E. Saeed Bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Minister of State.

###