The strategic partnership between the UAE and the U.S. is built on more than five decades of coordination and collaboration across various fields, fostering development and prosperity in both nations.
The official visit of H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser, to the United States is a continuation of efforts to strengthen communication and dialogue, serving the mutual interests of both countries and their people.
The UAE is one of the United States’ key partners in the region and worldwide. Both nations are committed to cooperation in enhancing regional and global security, achieving economic prosperity, and addressing global challenges.
Over the years, the two countries have established a solid foundation for long-term economic collaboration and innovative partnerships in emerging fields, including Artificial Intelligence, food security, clean energy, space exploration, and other priority sectors in areas of science, education, and culture.
The UAE and the U.S. maintain strong economic and investment ties. The bilateral trade volume (excluding oil) is close to $40 billion, with their merchandise trade rising by 9.47% to $34.43 billion (AED126.46 billion) in 2024, compared to $31.45 billion (AED115.51 billion) in 2023, according to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
UAE investments in the United States reached approximately $3.7 billion between 2018 and 2023, while U.S. investments in the UAE amounted to around $9.5 billion during the same period.
Both countries are working to enhance mutual investments in the energy sector, with the UAE holding over $70 billion in U.S. energy market through ADNOC, Masdar, and XRG.
Key sectors for UAE investments in the U.S. include renewable energy, telecommunications, real estate, software services, and information technology.
In 2024, several strategic partnerships and investment agreements were signed between the two countries, particularly in areas of technology and AI.
In April, G42, the UAE’s leading AI Holding Company, and Microsoft announced a $1.5 billion strategic investment from Microsoft into G42.
In June, World Wide Technology, Inc, (WWT), a U.S.-based technology integration company, signed a strategic agreement with NXT Global to establish the first AI integration centre in Masdar City, UAE.
Additionally, in February, G42 and Microsoft launched the “Responsible AI Institute (RAI Institute), the first of its kind in the Middle East, aimed at promoting responsible AI standards and best practices across the region and the Global South.
In September 2024, the UAE and the U.S. announced a framework for cooperation in AI, reaffirming their commitment to enhancing safe and reliable AI development, supporting ethical AI research and development, establishing regulatory frameworks to drive AI innovation, expanding collaboration in AI security, cybersecurity, and talent development, supporting clean energy solutions for AI infrastructure, and advancing AI for sustainable development in developing nations.
The UAE’s launch of the Hope Probe in 2021 marked a significant milestone in space exploration cooperation with the United States. This partnership expanded further through the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) in collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder.
The UAE is also playing a key role in NASA’s Lunar Gateway Programme by developing a dedicated airlock module for astronauts and scientists. As part of this initiative, the UAE will send its first astronaut to lunar orbit by 2030.
Climate action remains a cornerstone of UAE-U.S. cooperation, highlighted by the UAE-U.S. Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy (PACE). This initiative aims to mobilise $100 billion to generate 100 gigawatts of clean energy by 2035.
Additionally, the UAE co-leads the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM4C) with the United States, engaging over 50 countries and 500 partners to advance sustainable agriculture.
Masdar has also invested in 11 clean energy projects across the U.S., including the Big Beau project and battery storage project near Los Angeles.
