Emirates Competitiveness Council signs first MoU with U.S. Council on Competitiveness

The Emirates Competitiveness Council (ECC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the U.S. Council on Competitiveness in Washington. The agreement is the first the ECC has signed with another organization since its inception in May 2009.
The MoU formalises a strategic partnership between the two councils, and will bring together leading experts to develop global competitiveness standards and practices, initiate public-private sector partnerships to promote sustainable economic growth and foster high-value innovation in both nations.
In addition, the MoU aims to enhance capacity building, which will entail nurturing local talent through training and knowledge transfers that contribute to local and international growth.
Abdullah Nasser Lootah, Secretary General of Emirates Competitive Council, signed for the UAE side, while Debra Wins, President of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness, also signed the MoU for his side. The signing ceremony was witnessed by officials from both sides, including Omar Al Shamsi, Minister Plenipotentiary at the UAE Embassy in Washington DC and Saud Al Nowais, Commercial Attaché’ at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade, Chad Holliday, Chairman of the Council and Chairman and CEO of DuPont, other UAE federal and local government officials and officials and administrators from the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.
"This MoU conforms to the Council's aims to strengthen strategic partnerships with leading global competitiveness councils. We hope this partnership will facilitate the exchange of information, knowledge transfers and access to global best practices. Our goal is to realize leadership objectives to achieve the highest levels of global competitiveness for the UAE," Lootah said Under the MoU, the ECC will be a founding member of the Global Competitiveness Council, an initiative of the U.S. Council on Competitiveness.
The Global Competitiveness Council will be composed of board members from competitiveness councils around the world. The major goals of the Global Initiative are to understand, analyze and benchmark the new dynamics of competitiveness in the global economy. The initiative works to facilitate dialogue, summits and partnerships with key partners. The first meeting of the Global Council will be held in September of this year, in Brazil, with the participation of the ECC.
"The MoU will contribute to UAE society by helping to build the capacity of our citizens and bring more UAE nationals into more innovation and creativity-oriented sectors through on-going training opportunities, skills '&' knowledge transfers, enabling them to participate fully in moving the country forward within a globalized, innovation-driven economy," Lootah added.