Ambassador Wahba’s Remarks at US Embassy Dedication Ceremony
March 2, 2004
Good afternoon. Our guest of honor, Your Highness Shaykh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Your Highness Hamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Economy and Member of Abu Dhabi Executive Council, His Highness Shaykh Faisal bin Saqr al Qasimi, Ras al Khaimah, Your Highness Shaykh Doctor Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Director of the Crown Prince’s Diwan, Your Highness Shaykh Nahyan bin Mubarak, Minister of Higher Education, Your Highness Shaykh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Civil Aviation Department, General Charles Williams, Director and Chief Operating Officer, Overseas Buildings Operations, Department of State, Your Highnesses, Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, colleagues and friends.
It is my privilege to welcome you and thank you for honoring us by sharing this historic occasion with us — the dedication of our new embassy complex. I know there are many theories and questions about the unique design of this building. It is actually quite simple. The inspiration for the design, — the slanted vertical lines and sloped roof – comes from the beautiful rolling, sloping sand dunes we see in the UAE. The project is called the Dunes.
In the early 1970’s the United States of America was the third country to formally recognize the United Arab Emirates and our first Embassy was located on the Corniche. This modern and elegant building is our third home and provides the structure to carry out the wide range of diplomatic activities to support our strong and abiding relationship. I know I speak for the President of the United States and all of my predecessors who have had the privilege of representing our country here, when I say that this magnificent new structure reflects the depth and breadth of our relationship with the people and government of the UAE. Under the visionary leadership of His Highness Shaykh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, our partnership is stronger than ever.
When we had a small ceremony to lower the flag at the old embassy, several staff members reminisced about serving in the first embassy on the Corniche, when our total staff size was approximately 50. During the time I have had the privilege to serve in your beautiful country, our staff has increased by 34 %. Our Mission to the UAE now has close to 300 American and locally employed staff, representing 8 different U.S. government departments here and in our consulate in Dubai.
The issues that we cover also have expanded and reflect the importance of our relationship—our annual Strategic Partnership meetings give us an opportunity to hold high level bilateral discussions; we are signing a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement later this month; and a new regional office to coordinate the President’s Middle East Partnership Initiative will soon join our Embassy. Our commercial interests are strong; and our educational ties are broad. We are proud that many of the leaders of this country studied and lived in the United States, and hope that young generations of Emiratis will continue to study in America. We also are bringing more American students to the UAE so they will be able to experience Emirati culture and friendship firsthand.
In closing, I would like to say that the UAE ranks among our closest and most important allies in the region, and this new embassy stands as a very visible symbol of our partnership, trust and friendship. Your Highnesses, thank you for helping us celebrate that commitment today with the dedication of our new embassy and we look forward to welcoming you on many more occasions.
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