The United States and the United Arab Emirates held their 11th Economic Policy Dialogue in Abu Dhabi on January 15, 2026, reaffirming their strong and expanding economic partnership across trade, investment, technology, energy, and strategic supply chains.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Saeed Mubarak Al Hajeri, UAE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Jacob Helberg, Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs at the US Department of State.
Senior officials underscored the strategic importance of bilateral trade and investment, noting that the UAE has remained the United States’ largest trade partner in the Gulf region for nearly two decades. They highlighted that the US continues to enjoy a substantial trade surplus with the UAE.
Both sides emphasized that open markets, clear regulations, and investor-friendly policies have strengthened prosperity in both countries. They praised growing cooperation in key sectors such as critical minerals, advanced technology, energy, manufacturing, and life sciences, with a focus on expanding value-chain collaboration.
Officials reiterated the UAE’s commitment to invest $1.4 trillion in the United States over the next decade, reinforcing its position as America’s largest regional economic partner.
Minister Al Hajeri highlighted the strong growth in non-oil trade, which surpassed $38 billion in 2024. Preliminary figures for 2025 show that bilateral non-oil trade reached $19.3 billion in the first half of the year, reflecting a 3.4 percent year-on-year increase and supporting major US industries including energy, aviation, and technology.
The US under secretary stressed the importance of economic security and trusted supply chains, pointing to shared priorities in advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, energy abundance, and digital infrastructure.
Both sides explored deeper cooperation on critical minerals, including coordinated investments in third-country projects to ensure diversified and resilient supply chains. The UAE’s leadership in this area and its commitment to the Pax Silica framework were highlighted.
