American Business Council FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cara Nazari Company Name: American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates Tel: 04.340.7566 Email: director@abcdubai.com Website: www.abcdubai.com
Emirati Alumni of US Universities – Renewing the Connection DUBAI – SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 On Monday, September 26, the American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates in association with the US Consulate General Dubai honored UAE Nationals who have studied at US universities with a reception held at the Pavilion, Downtown Dubai. Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, UAE Minister for Foreign Trade, gave the keynote address. The evening was an acknowledgement of the shared values placed on higher education by the US and UAE and the many Emirati students who study at US universities. H.E. Sheikha Lubna said, “Nothing ever grows without a seed. We thank America’s educational system for planting the ideals of perseverance, hard work, individuality and ambition within all the Emirati students it has warmly accommodated. We thank America for being our friend and partner since the earliest days of our sovereignty. And we wish the best of luck to our Emirati youths who are pondering an academic life in the US. May we all continue reaping the rewards of our mutual support, trust and respect.” H.E. Sheikha Lubna holds a Bachelor of Science from California State University at Chico and was later awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from California State University at Chico. She also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from American University of Sharjah. Sheikha Lubna is the UAE Minister for Foreign Trade. Previously she spearheaded the UAE Ministry of the Economy during one of the country’s most economically prosperous periods in history. With her appointment in 2004 she earned the distinction of being the first woman to hold a ministerial post in the UAE. Prior to her ministerial appointments Sheikha Lubna held positions at Datamation, the information technology firm, the General Information
Authority, the UAE authority responsible for automating government offices, the Dubai Ports Authority, the largest port in the Middle East and was head of Tejari, the online business to business trade directory and marketplace for emerging markets. She also sits on several boards at organizations including Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and the Emirates Foundation-Abu Dhabi for Philanthropy. She spoke at the reception on the impact and benefits of secondary study in the US on her career. The newly arrived US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin said, “I would like to thank the American Business Council for hosting this event and Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi for giving the keynote address. It is a pleasure to meet so many distinguished Emirati alumni of US colleges and universities. Education is a crucial way to build and maintain strong people-to-people ties, and I am proud that the US is and has been such a welcoming destination for students from the UAE.” “We are gathered to honor the contribution that Emirati students make on US university campuses both in the academic realm and on student life. This is a two way relationship that contributes to US universities and to Emirati alumni who bring their knowledge and experiences back to the UAE,” said John Podgore, President of the American Business Council.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL The American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates (ABC) operates under the auspices of Dubai Chamber of Commerce &Industry and functions as the Dubai Chapter of the U. S. Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Since its founding in 1985, the ABC has supported American business and acts as a liaison between government and commercial enterprises. The American Business Council is a 500 plus member driven organization. Fortune 500 companies and key business leaders are representative of the council’s member profile. ABC provides a foundation for understanding and interaction with the local business community and its members. Members are supported through a robust calendar of informational programs, round table discussions, corporate and cultural networking opportunities.
ABOUT THE U.S. Mission IN THE UAE In 2011, the United States celebrates 40 years of diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates. Working in cooperation with public and private partners across the UAE, the US Consulate General in Dubai, along with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, supports a range of programs reflecting the depth and breadth of the US-UAE diplomatic relationship. The Consulate General moved in August 2011 from its longtime home in the Dubai World Trade Center to a state-of-the-art purpose-built building on Dubai Creek. The new Consulate General is a Leeds-certified green building, with facilities that dramatically enhance its abilities to serve
the public in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. For the first time, the Consulate General hosts a public educational advising center, a service of the global EducationUSA advising program; each year, EducationUSA assists thousands of students in the UAE who are considering study at one of the more than 4,000 accredited colleges and universities in the United States.
ABOUT THE PAVILION DOWNTOWN DUBAI The Pavilion Downtown Dubai is the city’s newest dedicated non-profit contemporary art space providing a place to view, discuss and participate in works by local and international artists. Developed by the multidivisional group for cultural engineering, the pavilion is a unique hub for a diverse range of art events offering a platform to promote an active arts community to the public and to support the work of a rising generation of artists in the region. The pavilion’s programming compliments its role as a place for artistic discourse, research and education. The building itself reflects a unique interior that supports a dialogue between art and its audience. The pavilion includes two art galleries, a restaurant, a cinema, a library, an espresso bar, a café and lounge.
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi with US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin and US Consulate General of Dubai, Justin Siberell.
Presenting Sponsor, Boeing President, Jeff Johnson with Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi and US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin