Minister of Economy Discusses Innovation and Entrepreneurship with US Business Leaders in West Coast during 15-Day US Visit

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 28 September, 2014 – The UAE delegation led by His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, held in-depth discussions with a number of senior American business leaders during its tour of Seattle and San Francisco in the West Coast.  

At Seattle, the delegation visited Boeing’s facilities in Everett, the world’s largest factory and largest building by volume (more than 13 million m3) that assembles Boeing 747s, 767s, 777s, and the new 787 Dreamliner.

Talks between the UAE delegation and Boeing officials focused on the current cooperation between the US airplane manufacturer and several of the UAE’s major companies. A significant partnership initiative between Boeing, Masdar and Etihad Airlines led to the establishment of a Sustainable Bioenergy Research Consortium (SBRC) in Abu Dhabi. Other partnerships include the agreement inked between Boeing and Strata, mandating the Al Ain based company within the Mubadala group to manufacture airplane parts for Boeing. In late 2013, the UAE’s carriers - Emirates, Etihad and Fly Dubai - made history by ordering more than 300 Boeing airplanes, worth in excess of US$120 billion. 

During its visit to San Francisco, the UAE delegation visited the offices of tech giant Google in Silicon Valley. Mohammad Gawdat, Vice President - Business Innovation - Google X, met the delegation and provided an overview of the company’s approach to innovation and experimentation through the Google X division. 

The delegation also visited Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX), the space transport services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California that aims to reduce space transportation costs and enable the colonization of Mars. The high ranking members of the UAE delegation additionally visited Stanford University, one of the world's most prestigious institutions.  

The US tour offered UAE-based private and public sector companies to meet with their American counterparts and benefit from their vast industry leadership experience, identify standards and procedures as well as best practices implemented at the organizations, and explore ways to enhance bilateral cooperation and synergies.