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Middle East Business Development Mission

Here you'll find information about the Middle East Business Development Mission, which aims to develop business relations between U.S. businesses and the countries of Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This page contains information about the mission, its goals, and opportunities for clean energy businesses to participate in this event.

About the Mission

Photo of the city of Abu Dhabi at night. Large skyscrapers stretch from the foreground into the distance, in front of brightly lit streets.

The city of Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE.


Photo of the large Burj Al Arab Hotel. The hotel is shaped like a ship. The hotel has one straight wall, flat sides, with the far side of the building curving into a large crescent, like an unfurled sail. The hotel stands on a small artificial island, with a narrow bridge connecting it to the mainland.

The Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai, UAE. The Burj Al Arab is one of the largest hotels in the world.


Photo of the Cairo skyline, showing the tops of the domes and minarets that stand against a bright blue sky.

The domes and minarets of Cairo, the capitol of Egypt.

The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is organizing a U.S. Department of Commerce certified business development mission to Egypt and the UAE on October 25-30, 2008. See the mission agenda (MS Word 29 KB) and the mission flyer (PDF 168 KB). Download Adobe Reader.

Paul Dickerson, Chief Operating Officer of EERE, will lead a U.S. business delegation to Cairo, Egypt, and Abu Dhabi and Dubai, UAE, to help firms do business in this dynamic market. One of the primary goals of the mission is to promote business matchmaking between businesses in the United States and the Middle East.

The countries of the Middle East are looking beyond today and investing in alternative sources of energy. Some have adopted national strategies that seek to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower, and are working with major oil and technology companies, universities and government ministries to help develop and commercialize these technologies.

Egypt and the UAE have a significant interest in energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. They have a proven track record of incentivizing trade and promoting technology and have promoted companies to open businesses and sell products and services in the energy sector. The commercial setting in Egypt and the UAE is ideal. Egypt is the U.S.'s second largest trading partner in the Arab World and the UAE has long been recognized as the commercial and business hub of the Arabian Gulf.

Goals of the Mission

The business development mission has three primary goals. These are:

  1. To provide first hand market information to participants
  2. To facilitate market entry of U.S. companies and/or increase sales from U.S. companies to potential energy efficiency and renewable energy technology business and services partners
  3. To acquaint U.S. companies with the business structure and political climate of the region.

Business Matchmaking

One of the major thrusts of the mission is to encourage and develop understanding and deeper business relationships between U.S. companies and those in the Middle East. In order to promote U.S. business interests in the Middle East, this mission will offer:

  • One-on-one pre-screened business appointments
  • Briefings on the host countries' business climate, business development policies and Market opportunities
  • Networking events with government and industry decision-makers
  • One-on-one site visits with labs, plants or other sites of interest for visiting U.S. companies.

Interested parties can learn more at the Export.gov Web site, The Gold Key Matching Service.

See the mission application (MS Word 49 KB).

Resources

For more information about doing trade with Egypt and the UAE, see these resources on the U.S. Commercial Service Web site:

Contacts

For more information about the Middle East Business Development Mission, contact the Mission by email, by phone at 202-586-2139, or by fax at 202-586-6429.