US Ambassador Michael Corbin arrived in Abu Dhabi in 2011. Eager to familiarize himself with the UAE, the avid cyclist biked to all seven emirates, coast-to-coast, mountains to the sea, even finding himself attending an annual camel beauty pageant along the way. As the US Ambassador to the UAE, he worked to strengthen business relations across all sectors, resulting in a significant expansion of US companies exporting to the UAE. Corbin describes the UAE as a “global crossroads,” a hub for business, arts, education and advanced technology. He will tell you the UAE’s power as a global convener and its shared values with the US, including interfaith coexistence, innovation and entrepreneurship are major pulls to the country. And it’s why, when choosing to retire from the US diplomatic corps after nearly three decades of service, he remained in the UAE.
