H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba

Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States

H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba was appointed the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador to the United States in 2008 and has led the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC since. He has been recognized by several organizations for his efforts to strengthen ties between the United States and the UAE and was promoted to minister of state in 2017.  

As the UAE’s ambassador to the United States, Al Otaiba’s leadership has inspired the development of programs surrounding community engagement, religious inclusivity, and the strategic UAE-U.S. partnership, such as the UAE USA United campaign. Al Otaiba has supported the campaign’s values by focusing on promoting economic prosperity, climate action, and cultural exchange in his work at the UAE Embassy. In the spirit of this effort, Al Otaiba has orchestrated partnerships to bring prominent U.S. organizations to the UAE, including New York University, the Harvard Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, and the Cleveland Clinic, helping to establish the UAE as the United States’ largest trading partner in the Middle East. Al Otaiba’s diplomacy has also helped grow bilateral trade and investment to further develop the strategic alliance between the UAE and the United States.     

Since being appointed UAE ambassador, Al Otaiba has dedicated his diplomatic career to supporting peace and tolerance in the UAE and the United States. Al Otaiba was instrumental in encouraging international discussions surrounding the Abraham Accords. He has also contributed to advancing UAE-U.S. ties through his philanthropic efforts as a private citizen and an ambassador. These initiatives, such as the establishment of the first Special Olympics games hosted in the Middle East, are primarily centered around public health, humanitarian relief, and equality. 

Get additional information on Yousef Al Otaiba’s diplomatic and philanthropic work at the UAE Embassy in Washington, DC.

A Conversation with H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba

On November 29, AGSIW hosted a roundtable with H.E. Yousef Al Otaiba, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States, as part of a new AGSIW series, “The Trump Administration and the GCC Countries."