H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba

His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba serves as the Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the United States (U.S.)

Working from the UAE Embassy in Washington, D.C., Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba has dedicated his diplomatic career to strengthening the UAE-US partnership. Al Otaiba stepped into his role as UAE Ambassador in 2008, and he was promoted to the rank of Minister of State in 2017 for his exemplary work in improving bilateral relations.

Strengthening UAE-U.S. Ties

Al Otaiba has worked alongside American business and government leaders to improve economic and trade ties between the UAE and the U.S. This joint effort has resulted in a 70% growth in bilateral trade – firmly marking the UAE as the largest MENA region trading partner with the U.S. Additionally, he was involved in the UAE-U.S. 123 agreement, the strongest nuclear agreement in recent history.

Over the course of his diplomatic career, Yousef Al Otaiba has led efforts to promote collaboration between Emiratis and Americans through establishing cultural, medical and educational partnerships with U.S. organizations. These include the Cleveland Clinic and New York University. The latter two organizations now have branch locations in the UAE as well.

The Ambassador has also supported the launch of community-building ventures at the UAE Embassy in D.C. He has been influential in the creation of the UAE USA United campaign, which aims to highlight the accomplishments of Emirati and American collaborations. He was also featured in the UAE USA United’s “50 Years | 50 Faces” sub-campaign that focused on amplifying stories from Emiratis and Americans, their positive experiences and the historic alliance between the two countries.

Prior to his ambassadorship, Yousef Al Otaiba began his diplomatic career serving as the Director of International Affairs in the court of His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE. While in this role, he assisted in improving security and stability in the UAE and worked to further the strategic UAE-U.S. partnerships.