Historic White House visit shows the UAE and US have never been closer

When US President Joe Biden described the UAE as a “nation of trailblazers” during Monday’s historic visit of President Sheikh Mohamed to the White House, it was more than a diplomatic nicety. It was an acknowledgement of common values and sensibilities, and a shared story of people uniting to embrace a future shaped by innovation and opportunity.

A joint statement issued by the two leaders made clear just how consequential these commonalities really are as the UAE and US take on the challenges of the 21st century as partners.

In terms of clean energy and climate action, the two leaders highlighted the countries’ Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy, their joint work at last year’s successful Cop28 in Dubai and their desire to “encourage commercial partnerships to decarbonise our energy systems, reduce emissions in pursuit of a net zero economy and deliver prosperity to future generations”. Adnoc’s 35 per cent stake in ExxonMobil’s proposed low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia production facility in Baytown, Texas, was cited as just one of many examples of the UAE’s commitment to a greener future.

The Emirates’ expertise in the emerging field of artificial intelligence is another area of common ground with the US, and it is notable that the two leaders welcomed April’s $1.5-billion investment by US tech giant Microsoft in Abu Dhabi AI and cloud company G42, saying it would help bring “advanced AI and digital infrastructure to countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa”.

The countries’ “deepening co-operation in advanced technology” is also reflected in their partnership when it comes to space; it has deep roots – in 1974, a US delegation of Nasa astronauts and scientists visited Abu Dhabi to brief the UAE’s founder and first President, the late Sheikh Zayed, on the Apollo missions to the Moon. Fast forward to 2024 and Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai has signed an agreement with Nasa to provide an airlock for the US space agency’s planned Gateway lunar space station. In addition, several Emirati astronauts are training at Nasa facilities, and the first Emirati in space – Major Hazza Al Mansouri – currently works in Houston, Texas to help develop the Gateway project.

But the world of 2024 is one of many serious challenges, and the Middle East has more than most regions. Amid a climate of regional volatility, chaos in Gaza and escalating violence across the Israel-Lebanon border, Mr Biden’s designation of the Emirates by the US as major defence partner – something the two leaders said will “allow for unprecedented co-operation” – is American recognition of the UAE’s role as a trusted security partner and a straight-talking friend.

The two countries’ strategic, political and economic partnership is one buttressed by personal relationships, some of which endured longer than terms of office; one can recall Sheikh Zayed’s invitation to former US president Jimmy Carter in 1990 to visit the UAE and work together on humanitarian projects. And although Sheikh Mohamed’s recent visit to the White House was the first meeting of sitting UAE and US presidents in America since the Emirates was founded, leaders from both countries have enjoyed warm and productive relationships for years. Such high-level relationships run in parallel with people-to-people ties; thousands of Americans live and work in the Emirates and the US remains a popular destination for Emirati students and entrepreneurs.

There is no doubt the relationship between the two countries will continue and deepen, even in an increasingly multipolar world. It is true that the Emirates works in partnership with many nations but the relationship with Washington is unique in its importance. The world is at a critical juncture, making it more vital than ever that the UAE and US continue to work together.