UAE invited to Discover America

The US ambassador to the UAE kicked off the programme on Wednesday

Barbara Leaf, US ambassador to the UAE, visits the kitchen before the Discover America dinner at Ray's Grill.

Barbara Leaf, the US ambassador to the UAE, is inviting the UAE to Discover America, a month of events aimed at bringing together “some of the best minds” among Americans and Emiratis in different fields.

The ambassador kicked off the embassy’s programme, now in its third year, at a dinner on Wednesday night at Ray’s Grill in Jumeirah at Etihad Towers.

“It’s one of my favourite nights of the year,” Ms Leaf told assembled guests at the event, launching “a month of building bridges and celebrating partnerships”.

As part of the month, the hotel is hosting a “Taste of America” food promotion that includes a Maine lobster night and a barbecue.

On the business front, the Chamber of Digital Commerce brought its first blockchain trade mission to the Middle East for meetings this week.

In the area of health, there will be a symposium on nutrition, obesity and diabetes at Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai October 23-24. In education, there will be 25 US universities at the Najah fair for prospective students at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre October 25-27.

And of course, no Discover America programme would be complete without a bit of Hollywood, so Emmy-winning filmmaker Michael Barnett is in the UAE to screen his documentary The Mars Generation. The screenings are part of the events the embassy has organised to coincide with World Space Week.

• The Mars Generation will be screened on Saturday, October 7, in Umm Al Emarat Park, at 7pm.