Yousef Al Otaiba
UAE Ambassador to the US and Minister of State in Washington, DC
For more than 15 years, Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba has helped transform the relationship between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the United States (US) from a strategic alliance to a multi-dimensional partnership.
Strengthening Longstanding Bilateral Ties
He has established multinational talks about sovereign wealth fund practices, which strengthened international trade relations. His efforts have been instrumental in advancing historic agreements, such as the UAE-US 123 Agreement on peaceful nuclear cooperation and the Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between the UAE and Israel.
Appointed to the position by late President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008, Ambassador Al Otaiba draws on his previous years of experience working as Senior Advisor and Director of International Affairs to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan — now President of the UAE — to shape a modern bilateral relationship that spans security, innovation, trade and cultural diplomacy.
Innovation, Diplomacy and Social Impact
Ambassador Al Otaiba’s work has consistently bridged diplomacy with innovation. In 2025, he supported the launch of a landmark $1.4 trillion UAE investment framework in the US, which includes a $25 billion agreement between ADQ and Energy Capital Partners (ECP) to power AI-driven infrastructure, such as next-generation data centers. He continues to support emerging technologies and space collaboration through initiatives like the Artemis Accords and backs UAE engagement on climate action via the PACE (Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy) platform.
Committed to social impact, education and public diplomacy, Ambassador Al Otaiba has been a key supporter of partnerships with top US institutions, including the Harvard Kennedy School, NYU Abu Dhabi, the Cleveland Clinic and NASA. He helped launch the UAE USA United campaign to strengthen UAE-US ties, was pivotal in bringing the Special Olympics World Games to Abu Dhabi — the first time the event was hosted in the Middle East — and currently serves on the Special Olympics Board of Directors.
Educated at Cairo American College, Georgetown University and the National Defense University, Ambassador Al Otaiba combines academic insight with diplomatic pragmatism. Today, he continues to shape the UAE’s evolving global role — one defined by shared security interests and by shared investment in a more sustainable, inclusive and innovative future.