A.C.E. Coordinates Visit to Seattle by Senior Abu Dhabi Officials
The week of June 2, 2008, A.C.E. was in the unique role of facilitating the visit to the Seattle area by two senior officials from the United Arab Emirates. In general, A.C.E. does not coordinate official visits by foreign dignitaries because our focus is on facilitating educational programming; however, His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Omar Abdulla, Undersecretary for the Abu Dhabi Department of Planning and Economy, made a special visit to Seattle primarily in his role as the Chairman of the UAE Academy, for which A.C.E. is the U.S. Liaison organization. The UAE Academy Chairman was accompanied by UAE Academy President & CEO, Dr. Magdi Abd El Hafez, who is responsible for pioneering the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Seattle from the time of his first visit to Seattle in December 2005 at the invitation of A.C.E. and the Greater Seattle Trade Development Alliance. At that time, the UAE Academy had not yet been formed as it was an outgrowth of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce & Industry's Chamber Training Institute. Since that time the UAE Academy has emerged as a national leader in readying UAE citizens (referred to as Emiratis) for the workforce by offering training programs which provide a bridge between the formal education system and careers in UAE. The UAE Academy has been so successful (uniquely so) that in January 2008 the chambers of commerce of the entire Gulf Cooperation Council - of which UAE is a part - adopted the UAE Academy as its model for school-to-work transition programs.

As a result of the growing cooperation between the UAE Academy and organizations in the Seattle area under coordination by A.C.E., Mr. Mohamed Omar felt the time was right for a visit to Seattle to highlight the successes already achieved, and to convey to colleagues in the Northwest that leaders in the UAE are committed to broadening practical ties between the two regions. While in Seattle between June 1 and June 6, Mr. Mohamed Omar and his colleague, Dr. Magdi, spent significant time visiting with senior leaders at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington, Montana State University, the Microsoft Corporation, the Boeing Corporation, the Puget Sound Regional Council, and the City of Seattle Technology Office. The Chairman and Dr. Magdi were interviewed by President Woodward for the Seattle Rotary Main Program at the Wednesday Noon meeting on June 4, and the reception by the 400+ attendees was enthusiastic. Both Mr. Mohamed Omar and Dr. Magdi brought home to listeners the genuine warmth and earnestness people in UAE feel for people in the U.S. and their serious interest in building both cultural and practical bridges of cooperation. The Chairman also gave a presentation for the business community on the morning of June 5th under the sponsorship of the Greater Seattle Trade Development Alliance which has partnered with A.C.E. to launch a highly successful speaker series under the new Middle East/GCC Roundtable. TDA and the Chamber of Commerce are playing the leadership role in planning a first-ever Study Mission to the UAE in March 2009, and A.C.E. will support this Study Mission by coordinating a Post Trip to the Sultanate of Oman for several days following the main trip.

On departing Seattle, Mr. Mohamed Omar and Dr. Magdi expressed their satisfaction that much was accomplished on this first visit to Seattle by the Chairman, and their anticipation that significant growth in the relationship between Abu Dhabi and Seattle was yet to come. A.C.E. will continue to support these growing ties enthusiastically, particularly in the arena of educational development in an international context.