emirati alumni event abc
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The American Business Council honors Emirati Alumni at the Pavilion Downtown DubaiTRANSCRIPT
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American Business Council
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cara Nazari
Company Name: American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates
Tel: 04.340.7566
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.abcdubai.com
Emirati Alumni of US Universities Renewing the Connection
DUBAI SEPTEMBER 26, 2011
On Monday, September 26, the American Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates in
association with the US Consulate General Dubai honored UAE Nationals who have studied at
US universities with a reception held at the Pavilion, Downtown Dubai.
Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid bin Sultan Al Qasimi, UAE Minister for Foreign
Trade, gave the keynote address. The evening was an acknowledgement of the shared values
placed on higher education by the US and UAE and the many Emirati students who study at US
universities.
H.E. Sheikha Lubna said, Nothing ever grows without a seed. We thank Americas educational
system for planting the ideals of perseverance, hard work, individuality and ambition within all
the Emirati students it has warmly accommodated. We thank America for being our friend and
partner since the earliest days of our sovereignty. And we wish the best of luck to our Emirati
youths who are pondering an academic life in the US. May we all continue reaping the rewards
of our mutual support, trust and respect.
H.E. Sheikha Lubna holds a Bachelor of Science from California State University at Chico and
was later awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science from California State University at Chico.
She also holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from American University of
Sharjah. Sheikha Lubna is the UAE Minister for Foreign Trade. Previously she spearheaded the
UAE Ministry of the Economy during one of the countrys most economically prosperous
periods in history. With her appointment in 2004 she earned the distinction of being the first
woman to hold a ministerial post in the UAE. Prior to her ministerial appointments Sheikha
Lubna held positions at Datamation, the information technology firm, the General Information
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Authority, the UAE authority responsible for automating government offices, the Dubai Ports
Authority, the largest port in the Middle East and was head of Tejari, the online business to
business trade directory and marketplace for emerging markets. She also sits on several boards at
organizations including Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC) and the Emirates
Foundation-Abu Dhabi for Philanthropy. She spoke at the reception on the impact and benefits
of secondary study in the US on her career.
The newly arrived US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin said, I would like to thank the
American Business Council for hosting this event and Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi for giving the
keynote address. It is a pleasure to meet so many distinguished Emirati alumni of US colleges
and universities. Education is a crucial way to build and maintain strong people-to-people ties,
and I am proud that the US is and has been such a welcoming destination for students from the
UAE.
We are gathered to honor the contribution that Emirati students make on US university
campuses both in the academic realm and on student life. This is a two way relationship that
contributes to US universities and to Emirati alumni who bring their knowledge and experiences
back to the UAE, said John Podgore, President of the American Business Council.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN BUSINESS COUNCIL
The American Business Council of Dubai and the Northern Emirates (ABC) operates under the
auspices of Dubai Chamber of Commerce &Industry and functions as the Dubai Chapter of the
U. S. Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Since its founding in 1985, the ABC has supported
American business and acts as a liaison between government and commercial enterprises.
The American Business Council is a 500 plus member driven organization. Fortune 500
companies and key business leaders are representative of the councils member profile. ABC
provides a foundation for understanding and interaction with the local business community and
its members. Members are supported through a robust calendar of informational programs, round
table discussions, corporate and cultural networking opportunities.
ABOUT THE U.S. Mission IN THE UAE
In 2011, the United States celebrates 40 years of diplomatic relations with the United Arab
Emirates. Working in cooperation with public and private partners across the UAE, the US
Consulate General in Dubai, along with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi, supports a range of
programs reflecting the depth and breadth of the US-UAE diplomatic relationship. The
Consulate General moved in August 2011 from its longtime home in the Dubai World Trade
Center to a state-of-the-art purpose-built building on Dubai Creek. The new Consulate General
is a Leeds-certified green building, with facilities that dramatically enhance its abilities to serve
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the public in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. For the first time, the Consulate General hosts a
public educational advising center, a service of the global EducationUSA advising program; each
year, EducationUSA assists thousands of students in the UAE who are considering study at one
of the more than 4,000 accredited colleges and universities in the United States.
ABOUT THE PAVILION DOWNTOWN DUBAI
The Pavilion Downtown Dubai is the citys newest dedicated non-profit contemporary art space
providing a place to view, discuss and participate in works by local and international artists.
Developed by the multidivisional group for cultural engineering, the pavilion is a unique hub for
a diverse range of art events offering a platform to promote an active arts community to the
public and to support the work of a rising generation of artists in the region.
The pavilions programming compliments its role as a place for artistic discourse, research and
education. The building itself reflects a unique interior that supports a dialogue between art and
its audience. The pavilion includes two art galleries, a restaurant, a cinema, a library, an espresso
bar, a caf and lounge.
Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi with US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin and US Consulate General of Dubai, Justin Siberell.
Presenting Sponsor, Boeing President, Jeff Johnson
with Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi and US Ambassador to the UAE, Michael Corbin