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List of ambassadors of the United States to the United Arab Emirates

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Summary

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Field	Value
post	Ambassador
body	the United States to the United Arab Emirates
native_name	سفير الولايات المتحدة الأميركية في دولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة
flag	Flag of a United States ambassador.svgborder
flagsize	200
flagcaption	United States ambassador flag
insignia	Seal of US Embassy & Consulate in the United Arab Emirates.svg
insigniasize	120px
insigniacaption	Seal of the United States Mission to Abu Dhabi
image	Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE Eric Gaudiosi.jpg
incumbent	Eric Gaudiosi
Chargé d'affaires
incumbentsince	August 11, 2025
nominator	The president of the United States
inaugural	William Stoltzfus
as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary
formation	February 29, 1972
website	U.S. Embassy - Abu Dhabi

Chargé d'affaires as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary The ambassador of the United States to the United Arab Emirates is the official representative of the president of the United States to the head of state of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The U.S. embassy to the UAE is located in Embassies District, Sector W59-02, Abu Dhabi.

History

The United Arab Emirates is a federation of seven emirates, each ruled by a Sheikh. Until 1971 the sheikhdoms had been protectorates of the United Kingdom, known as the Trucial States. On December 1, 1971 The UK ended its relationship with the Trucial States and the sheikhdoms became independent. On December 2 the seven sheikhdoms, under the leadership of Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan united to form the United Arab Emirates.

The United States recognized the independence of the United Arab Emirates the next day on 3 December 1971. Diplomatic relations were established on March 20, 1972, when Envoy William Stoltzfus presented his credentials to the government of the United Arab Emirates. Stoltzfus was concurrently accredited to Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Oman, and the UAE while resident at the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait. During Stolzfus’ tenure as non-resident Ambassador, the embassy in Abu Dhabi was established on May 15, 1972, with Philip J. Griffin as Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. The first ambassador solely accredited to the UAE was Michael Sterner, who presented his credentials on May 24, 1974.

Ambassadors

#	Ambassador	Portrait	Appointment	Presentation	Termination	Appointer	Notes
1	William Stoltzfus		February 29, 1972	March 20, 1972	June 23, 1974
2	Michael E. Sterner		May 24, 1974	June 24, 1974	August 24, 1976
3	Mukhtar Rahimi		September 16, 1976	December 14, 1976	August 4, 1979
4	William D. Wolle		September 28, 1979	December 15, 1979	April 6, 1981
5	George Quincey Lumsden, Jr.		July 2, 1982	October 13, 1982	January 28, 1986	title=Nomination of George Quincey Lumsden, Jr., To Be United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates	url=https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/research/speeches/51982a	website=Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum	accessdate=3 November 2019}}
6	David Lyle Mack		September 12, 1986	October 7, 1986	October 24, 1989
7	Edward S. Walker, Jr.	[[File:Edward walker.jpg	50px]]	November 21, 1989	January 16, 1990	June 23, 1992
8	William Arthur Rugh		October 9, 1992	November 3, 1992	June 1, 1995
9	David C. Litt		October 3, 1995	October 23, 1995	October 13, 1998
10	Theodore H. Kattouf		October 1, 1998	April 4, 1999	August 12, 2001	Bill Clinton
11	Marcelle Wahba		September 17, 2001	November 6, 2001	June 17, 2004	Bill Clinton
12	Michele J. Sison	[[File:Michele J. Sison, U.S. Ambassador.gif	50px]]	May 12, 2004	February 7, 2005	January 19, 2008	George W. Bush
13	Richard G. Olson	[[File:Richard Olson 2015.jpg	50px]]	September 28, 2008	October 14, 2008	May 2, 2011	George W. Bush
14	Michael H. Corbin	[[File:Michael H Corbin ambassador 2011.jpg	50px]]	July 25, 2011	url=http://www.mofa.gov.ae/mofa_english/portal/4551c293-351f-4148-8e4a-b5dac67d321c.aspx	title=The New US Ambassador Presents Credentials	publisher=United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs	access-date=2011-08-21	archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008150210/http://www.mofa.gov.ae/mofa_english/portal/4551c293-351f-4148-8e4a-b5dac67d321c.aspx	archive-date=2011-10-08	url-status=dead}}	December 16, 2014	Barack Obama
15	Barbara A. Leaf	[[Image:Barbara A. Leaf.jpg	50px]]	November 25, 2014	January 20, 2015	March 23, 2018	Barack Obama
16	John Rakolta	[[Image:John Rakolta, Jr. official photo.jpg	50px]]	September 17, 2019	October 27, 2019	January 20, 2021	Donald Trump
17	Martina A. Strong	[[Image:Martina Strong, U.S. Ambassador.jpg	50px]]	July 27, 2023	October 4, 2023	August 5, 2025	Joe Biden

Notes

References

United States Department of State: Background notes on the United Arab Emirates

References

"United Arab Emirates". United States Department of State.
(2 March 1990). "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR MICHAEL E. STERNER".
Also accredited to Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar; resident at Kuwait.
"Nomination of George Quincey Lumsden, Jr., To Be United States Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates".
(6 March 1996). "The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project AMBASSADOR WILLIAM A. RUGH".
"The New US Ambassador Presents Credentials". United Arab Emirates Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"Chiefs of Mission for United Arab Emirates".
"Barbara A. Leaf".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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