As UAE Ambassador to the United States in 2008, Yousef Al Otaiba has deepened bilateral understanding and cooperation across three US Presidential Administrations. During this time, Ambassador Al Otaiba has led the expansion of the bilateral defense partnership, as UAE and US security forces confront the multiple regional challenges of extremism, terrorism and aggression. Cultural, educational and health care exchanges have also grown dramatically, marked by the launch of such initiatives as NYU Abu Dhabi, the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed campus at Children's National Medical Center, and the Sheikh Khalifa Cardiac Center at Johns Hopkins University. He preivously served for seven years as international affairs adviser to H.H. General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He obtained a degree in international relations at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. after graduating from the Cairo American College. He also attended the Industrial College of the US Armed Forces at the National Defense University in Washington, DC as an international fellow. In recognition of his loyal service to the UAE, Ambassador Al Otaiba was promoted to the rank of Minister in October 2017. He will remain in his current role as the UAE's Ambassador to the US.