Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba

Yousef Al Otaiba is the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States. Prior to his appointment he had held a number of important positions within the government of the Emirates. During his time in government service he has worked to improve relations between the two countries as well as to allow the UAE to take advantage of its growing financial power.

Like many members of the Emirates upper classes. Yousef Al Otaiba went abroad at a fairly young age in order to get his education. First he went Egypt where he got his primary school education at the Cairo American College. Following his graduation he headed for the United States where he received his degree from Georgetown University. Following this he would attend the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington where he would learn about national security issues. This training left him perfectly prepared for his career in public service.

In 2001 Otaiba served as the Director of International Affairs for the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. His appointment coincided with the start of the US war on terror. The time that Otaiba had spent in the United States convinced him that the way for the UAE to increase its power in the region was to become a close ally of the United States. Therefore he advised a close working relationship between the two countries. He also recommended that the US be allowed to build military bases in the Emirates in order to improve this relationship. This proved be beneficial to both countries as most other nations in the region refused to allow American troops to be stationed on their soil.

Perhaps Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba's biggest achievement has been to help the UAE to flex its economic muscles. He was quick to realize that the nation's oil wealth and the increasing interdependency of the global economy gave the nation a great deal of power. In particular through their sovereign wealth fund. This has made the Emirates a very large investor in a number of countries, especially the US. This gives them a great deal of power as many countries rely on these investments to keep their economy afloat. Recognizing this Otaiba has made a real effort to promote trade with other nations. This has made the Emirates a financial powerhouse in the Gulf region and increased their influence worldwide.

Following his appointment as ambassador to the United States in 2001 Yousef Al Otaiba has made further efforts to improve the ties between the two countries. In large part this has been about increasing the business ties between the two nations. He has however also managed to stir up some controversy when he made statements encouraging a military strike against Iran. This statement was a little bit odd given that Iran and the Emirates have a fairly good relationship. It is an indication of just how close the ties between the UAE and the US have become.