UAE-US RELATIONS: Social and Cultural Partnerships
The UAE is an innovative social investor, seeking ways to expand opportunities for UAE citizens and help address regional and global challenges.
Humanitarian and Development Support
The UAE foreign aid and development program is substantial, in excess of $15 billion. The UAE has provided significant funding and assistance to the new Iraqi government. The UAE also provided $100 million for Hurricane Katrina relief.
Women
Unique in the Middle East, the UAE constitution guarantees equal rights for both men and women. Under the constitution, women enjoy the same legal status, claim to titles, access to education and the right to practice professions as men.
Two cabinet ministers are women: the Minister of Economy Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi and the Minister of Social Affairs Miriam Mohammed Khalfan Al Roumi.
Health
Health care delivery in parts of the UAE is undergoing a significant transformation, and the UAE is working with leading US institutions to develop its health care system. The UAE seeks to become a major center for world-class health care in the Middle East, for its own residents, as well as those in the region.
- The Harvard Medical School Dubai Center (HMSDC) is a joint project of Harvard University and the Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC).
- The Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is in development and will be a world-class specialty hospital and clinic.
- The Johns Hopkins Medical School manages health care systems in Abu Dhabi, including the 469-bed Tawam Hospital.
Environment
The UAE understands that ensuring a clean environment is critical to sustainable economic growth and intergenerational equity. With a long-standing commitment to sustainability and conservation, efforts continue to minimize the UAE’s impact on the global environment.
In 2005 the UAE became one of the first major oil-producing countries to ratify the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Convention on Climate Change.
In addition, a landmark renewable energy initiative named Masdar was established by the Government of Abu Dhabi in mid-2006. Masdar is a multi-billion program that is supporting the development and commercialization of new clean energy technologies, creating a world-class research and development institute and initiating projects like the world’s first zero-carbon, zero-waste “green community.
Education
New York University, Michigan State, George Mason, MIT and Rochester Institute of Technology are among the US Universities that have announced or launched programs or campuses in the UAE.
Cultural
Art and culture play a central role in enhancing international relations and developing understanding between the UAE and the United States. In 2006, Abu Dhabi announced a partnership with the New York-based Guggenheim Museum to establish a world-class museum in the Emirate devoted to modern and contemporary art – to be known as the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
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