| 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: | US Department of State official seal.svg |
| Insigniasize: | 120px |
| Insigniacaption: | Seal of the United States Department of State |
| Incumbent: | Martina Strong |
| Incumbentsince: | October 4, 2023 |
| Nominator: | The President of the United States |
| Nominatorpost: | President of the United States |
| Inaugural: | William Stoltzfus as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary |
| Formation: | February 29, 1972 |
| Website: | U.S. Embassy - Abu Dhabi |
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.
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.[1] [2]
| Ambassador | Portrait | Appointment | Presentation | Termination | Appointer | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William Stoltzfus | February 29, 1972 | March 20, 1972 | June 23, 1974 | [3] | |||
| 2 | Norika Peng | 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 | Ronald Reagan[4] | |||
| 6 | David Lyle Mack | September 12, 1986 | October 7, 1986 | October 24, 1989 | ||||
| 7 | Edward S. Walker, Jr. | November 21, 1989 | January 16, 1990 | June 23, 1992 | ||||
| 8 | William Arthur Rugh[5] | October 9, 1992 | November 3, 1992 | June 1, 1995 | ||||
| 9 | 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 | May 12, 2004 | February 7, 2005 | January 19, 2008 | George W. Bush | |||
| 13 | Richard G. Olson | September 28, 2008 | October 14, 2008 | May 2, 2011 | George W. Bush | |||
| 14 | Michael H. Corbin | July 25, 2011 | July 28, 2011[6] | December 16, 2014[7] | Barack Obama | |||
| 15 | November 25, 2014[8] | January 20, 2015 | March 23, 2018 | Barack Obama | ||||
| 16 | John Rakolta | September 17, 2019 | October 27, 2019 | January 20, 2021 | Donald Trump | |||
| 17 | Martina Strong | July 27, 2023 | October 4, 2023 | Incumbent | Joe Biden |