UAE President Sheikh Mohamed has conferred departing US ambassador Martina Strong with the First Class Order of Zayed II.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, presented the honour to Ms Strong during a meeting in Abu Dhabi.
Ms Strong arrived in the UAE as ambassador in 2023. The veteran diplomat had previously served as charge d’affaires in Saudi Arabia and deputy chief of mission in Bulgaria.
She was also in Iraq as the political minister counsellor in Baghdad and as the US Army’s political adviser in Basra.
During her nearly two years as ambassador, Ms Strong helped in “strengthening and advancing the strategic relations between the two nations across various fields”, Wam reported.
As ambassador, Ms Strong helped to welcome US President Donald Trump to the UAE in May in a historic visit in which the two countries expanded ties.