President Sheikh Mohamed's official visit to the United States marks a pivotal moment in the enduring bilateral relationship between the two nations, which dates back over five decades. The UAE continues to be a crucial ally for the United States, both regionally and globally. This visit underscores the UAE's commitment to fostering partnerships, encouraging dialogue, and establishing balanced relations grounded in trust, credibility, and mutual respect with nations worldwide. These efforts aim to bolster international stability and peace, and to promote development and prosperity for all peoples.
Bilateral cooperation covers a wide array of fields, including development, politics, security, economy, trade, and defense. The two countries also share numerous economic and security partnerships, reinforced by the 2019 announcement of the Abraham Accords. Diplomatic relations between the UAE and the US were formalized shortly after the UAE's establishment in 1971. The UAE's embassy in Washington was inaugurated in 1974, with the US embassy in Abu Dhabi opening the same year.
The robust economic ties are reflected in the substantial growth of non-oil foreign trade (excluding services), which surged to $39.5 billion in 2023 from $23.8 billion in 2022. UAE imports from the United States rose to $25.9 billion in 2023, up from $21.3 billion in 2022. Exports from the UAE to the US increased from $3.2 billion in 2022 to $3.9 billion in 2023, while re-exports to the US climbed to $9.6 billion in 2023 from $8.2 billion in 2022. UAE investments in the US totalled $3.7 billion between 2018 and 2023, with US investments in the UAE reaching $9.5 billion over the same period. Key sectors for UAE investment in the US include renewable energy, telecommunications, energy, real estate, software services, and information technology.
Several collaborative agreements in technology and artificial intelligence have been inked this year. In June, World Wide Technology (WWT) signed a strategic deal with NXT Global to establish the UAE's first AI Integration Centre in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. In April, Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion strategic investment in G42, further strengthening collaboration in AI and technology. The UAE's Hope Probe, launched in 2021, underscored scientific cooperation in space exploration, notably in the UAE's mission to the asteroid belt in partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder. The UAE is also a key player in NASA's Lunar Gateway project, developing an airlock module for astronauts and scientists, with plans to send its first astronaut to lunar orbit by 2030.
Climate action is a cornerstone of cooperation between the two countries, highlighted by the Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE), which aims to mobilize $100 billion to generate 100 gigawatts of clean energy by 2035.
