Phil Murphy, Governor of the US state of New Jersey, affirmed that relations between New Jersey and the United Arab Emirates are witnessing remarkable growth, emphasising that the future holds vast opportunities to strengthen these ties across key sectors.

Speaking to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) during his visit to the UAE, Governor Murphy said, “We already enjoy a strong relationship with the UAE, but we see a future that is even brighter and more robust. That’s why I am here, leading this mission — to underscore the importance of the UAE to our state and to affirm our belief in the vast potential for successful partnerships.”

He noted that New Jersey sees the UAE as an ideal partner due to its forward-looking, innovation-driven approach, particularly in areas such as generative artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, food, infrastructure, energy, and sports.

Expressing his enthusiasm about the visit, Murphy highlighted its potential to enhance mutual understanding and expand both investment and research cooperation.This visit to the UAE is part of a broader Gulf tour that includes Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The governor described it as part of a historic economic mission — his thirteenth international trip since taking office.

“New Jersey markets itself well internationally. These missions often result in announcements of new capital investments and job creation,” he added.

Among the anticipated outcomes of the visit is a major announcement from UAE-based Hotpack, a leader in sustainable food packaging solutions. The company plans to invest $100 million to establish a new manufacturing facility in Edison, New Jersey — its first production base in North America.

The new 70,000-square-foot facility is expected to begin operations in June 2025, creating 200 new jobs over the next five years.

Regarding overall Emirati investment in New Jersey, Governor Murphy said there are many active ventures, highlighting a significant recent investment by Abu Dhabi’s ADQ. The sovereign wealth fund injected billions of dollars into Energy Capital Partners, a private equity firm based in Summit, New Jersey, which operates in the energy sector.

On higher education, the governor revealed that the economic mission would include the signing of several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) between New Jersey universities and their counterparts in the UAE, aimed at promoting academic and research collaboration.

Kean University of New Jersey will sign MoUs with the University of Dubai, the American University in Dubai, and the University of Wollongong in Dubai. These agreements will focus on faculty and student exchanges, joint research, and academic programs in areas of mutual interest.

The MoUs aim to provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to study and conduct joint research with partner universities.

Additionally, Rowan University will sign an MoU with Ras Al Khaimah University, focusing on research and development and strengthening cultural ties through student and faculty exchanges and collaborative educational programmes.

Murphy emphasised, “We have the best public education system in the United States and are proud of our world-class institutions like Princeton University and Rutgers University.”

He also pointed to the presence of “strategic innovation hubs” that bring together academic institutions and the private sector, noting that UAE universities have strong opportunities to join these ecosystems and help power a shared innovation economy.

He added that more investment opportunities may arise from in-person meetings during this visit, stating: “Some partnerships are born from direct, open dialogue — and we see tremendous potential with the UAE.”

In response to a question about sectors that stand to benefit most from UAE investments, Governor Murphy said pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, advanced technologies, generative AI, infrastructure, and sports and entertainment are among the top beneficiaries.

He described New Jersey as a hub of innovation and advanced engineering, with one of the largest infrastructure programmes in the United States.

On trade policy, Murphy stated that he does not favour high tariffs but strongly supports local manufacturing.

“We are working on a major incentive package to attract international investment in local manufacturing in New Jersey. I believe America needs to produce more domestically, but we must do this while maintaining strong partnerships and alliances with countries like the UAE,” he explained.

Governor Murphy concluded by emphasising the importance of New Jersey’s engagement with the Gulf region, “Our visit today sends a clear message — we consider the UAE and the wider Gulf region key partners.”