UAE Consul General Majid Al-Suwaidi Gives Lecture on UAE Economy to Future Leaders at Columbia Business School

NEW YORK – February 6, 2018 – His Excellency Majid Al-Suwaidi, United Arab Emirates Consul General in New York, delivered a guest lecture to MBA students at Columbia Business School, one of six Ivy League business schools in the United States, on the UAE’s economic environment and how the country has become one of the most diversified economies in the Middle East and North Africa region.

During the lecture, Consul General Al-Suwaidi highlighted the instrumental role that the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the UAE’s founding father, played in the formation of the UAE and the country’s transformation into a modern and prosperous society.

“The UAE has flourished under visionary leaders who have recognized the need to diversify our economy early on and prepare for a future beyond oil,” Consul General Al-Suwaidi said. “Our economic diversification efforts have helped to foster a knowledge-based economy driven by innovation in key sectors including education, health, energy, transport, space, and water.”

Consul General Al-Suwaidi was invited to speak by Pierre Yared, Professor of Business and Co-Director of the Richard Paul Richman Center for Business, Law, and Public Diplomacy at Columbia University.

The lecture was part of Professor Yared’s Global Immersion Course, where students study economic growth in the UAE and spend one-week in the country, meeting with business executives and government officials while working on team projects.

"The UAE presents a truly unique economic success story. Our Global Immersion course at Columbia University provides an important opportunity for future business leaders to visit many businesses around the UAE and to become familiar with the UAE's overall growth strategy," Professor Yared said.

Consul General Al-Suwaidi’s presentation marks his third annual lecture with Professor Yared. Over the past three years, Professor Yared has taken 90 students to the UAE and will accompany 30 additional students from his current course in March.