UAE Consul General Meets with Senior New Jersey Officials; Reinforces Robust Trade and Cultural Ties

This week the Consul General of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in New York, Her Excellency Amna Almheiri, met with senior New Jersey state officials to highlight trade and investment opportunities in the UAE and underscore the already robust business and cultural ties between the UAE and New Jersey. The UAE Consul General met with New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way and senior leaders from Choose New Jersey, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the New Jersey-Israel Commission.

During the meetings, Consul General Almheiri highlighted the importance of robust trade between New Jersey and the UAE, and how it is a key driver of economic growth. In 2020, New Jersey exported over $752 million in goods and services to the Emirates, making it the seventh largest exporter to the UAE among all 50 states that year. She also noted that the UAE has been the US’ top trading partner in the entire Middle East and North Africa region for 13 years in a row, with total bilateral trade reaching more than $23 billion in 2021.

From agtech and healthcare to manufacturing and logistics, the UAE’s economic initiatives and infrastructure make it an ideal place to do business. According to the UAE Consul General, the historic Abraham Accords also create new opportunities and are an important catalyst for additional growth and prosperity.

Consul General Almheiri said, "From expanding business ties across numerous sectors to deepening engagement with New Jersey’s communities, the UAE-New Jersey relationship is only growing. It is friendships like this that make the UAE’s bilateral partnership with the United States so dynamic and strong.”

During her visit to the “Garden State,” the UAE Consul General also met with senior executives at AeroFarms, a New Jersey-based leader in indoor vertical farming. Its wholly owned subsidiary in the UAE, AeroFarms AgX, has started construction in Abu Dhabi on a state-of-the art research center focused on the latest developments for indoor vertical farming, innovation and agtech.

"It was an honor to welcome United Arab Emirates Consul General Almheiri to Trenton yesterday during her first visit to New Jersey, especially as a fellow female leader during Women's History Month," said New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way. "Our common desire to further trade, tourism, cultural cooperation, and more, shows that there is a bright future between our state and the UAE."

 Beyond trade and investment, the UAE and New Jersey have a long-standing friendship that is exemplified by the support that UAE organizations provided following the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Working closely with state officials and philanthropic organizations, the UAE became a partner in New Jersey’s recovery, helping dozens of schools in impacted communities upgrade their facilities and IT equipment, sending volunteers to New Jersey from the UAE to help with cleanup and debris removal in hard-hit areas, and providing community soccer fields for storm-impacted communities around the state.