Students 'great ideas' to boost UAE-US ties, says top official
Students in the UAE — the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs — are set to play a pivotal role in strengthening the strategic partnership between UAE and the United States, said Martina Strong, US Ambassador to the UAE, during a recent event in Dubai.
Her remarks pointed at the importance of youth engagement and cross-border innovation as critical elements in advancing UAE-US bilateral cooperation across future-focused sectors.
Speaking at a ceremony that honoured students for their entrepreneurial achievements, Strong highlighted the enduring and evolving partnership between the two nations.
'We are at the core very entrepreneurial, very pioneering as nations, as people, as companies, as private sectors and I think that aligns us so well as partners in so many different fields,' she said.
According to Wam, the UAE is already home to more than 1,800 American companies, and this number is expected to grow due to the positive impact of the visit.
The Injaz event, which celebrated youth-led innovation, came just weeks after US President Donald Trump concluded his historic visit to the UAE, the final leg of his Gulf tour following stops in Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Speaking at the event, Strong said: 'As many of you know, we had a big visit just a couple of weeks ago here. President Trump came to Abu Dhabi. It was a historic visit…an amazing visit. I hope that those of you who watched it on TV got a sense of the excitement and energy that this visit generated, but it was also very substantive.'
Trump arrived in Abu Dhabi on May 15 and was officially welcomed by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The ceremony also included members of the community, such as outstanding students from space camps, astronauts, and space mission engineers. During his meeting with Sheikh Mohamed, Trump underscored the strong and enduring partnership between the US and the UAE.
The visiting President later toured the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Notably, the visit marked the first by a US president to the UAE since 2008.
Students to propel partnership
Strong noted that the discussions between the two leaders focused on long-term mutual gains. 'It should not surprise you that the two presidents, US President Trump and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed, focused on our shared prosperity as kind of a key pillar of our bilateral partnership going forward,' she said.
UAE announced a $1.4 trillion investment in artificial intelligence in the US and expressed the country's desire to collaborate with the US in promoting global peace and stability.
'They talked about all of the major fields in which we are working together, from artificial intelligence and frontier technology to energy, space exploration, health, life sciences. It's a very, long list,' Strong added. 'But suffice it to say that the two presidents charted a very ambitious path forward … and as I thought about who is going to get all this work done, I think I know it's going to be all of you (students) and your great work, your great ideas, innovation, creativity that will propel our partnership forward in the years ahead.'
Reaffirming the US mission's commitment to supporting youth innovation, Strong added, 'The US mission is truly proud to support entrepreneurship among our young generations because it advances our shared objective, and that objective is prosperity for today and for years and decades to come. This is generated through economic growth, through innovation, cooperation and partnerships and really taking advantage of the opportunities.'
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