April 2022
Business mission to Dubai pitches city
as great place to invest, conduct trade
All it takes is one look: our ever-popular downtown, our world-class beach resort, our highly skilled workforce and the easy access for visitors and as well as trade representatives from around the world. Fort Lauderdale is a place ripe with opportunity.
 
Businesses worldwide are waking up to that reality and want to be part of our incredible success story. I know. I just returned from leading a business delegation to Dubai for discussions where we met government ministers about expanded trade possibilities and spoke to investment bankers about how they can take part in our growth.
 
Dubai sits at the crossroads of the world and was a great place for us to foster business exchange. High-level dignitaries from around the globe gathered in Dubai at the end of March for two major conferences – Investopia and the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) Congress – which were happening alongside the conclusion of the 2020 World Expo.
 
Investopia was a future-focused summit looking at growth trajectories based on changes in the world as it comes out of the COVID-19 pandemic as well the opportunities presented by emerging technology. AIM, on the other hand, is one of the world’s most vibrant trade shows and focused investment policies to promote sustainable development and smart growth. 
 
I was joined by City Manager Chris Lagerbloom as well as my chief of staff, Scott Wyman, and the city’s economic development manager, Daphnee Sainvil on the trip. On some appointments, we teamed up with a county delegation led by Broward Mayor Michael Udine. 
One of the most exciting parts of the trip was explaining the renaissance that is occurring in Fort Lauderdale and how we are an ideal location for strategic investment.
 
I told that story to groups like the Mubadala Investment Co. and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Both are state-owned sovereign wealth funds that manage hundreds of billions of dollars in investments worldwide. I also was a featured speaker at AIM where I was asked to discuss investment opportunities given the changing dynamics of the world.
 
In my speech and in the private meetings, I talked about how Fort Lauderdale has been redefining itself as a world-class cosmopolitan destination for residents, businesses and tourists. I spoke of our business-friendly environment, our convenient airport and seaport, our great quality of life and our evolving downtown. Potential investors liked to hear that we are a top location in the U.S. for entrepreneurial activity and home to corporate headquarters and major operations of such companies as Microsoft, Citrix Systems, AutoNation and Embraer. 
 
I told those I met that Fort Lauderdale is seeing fast growth in our financial and high-tech sectors and is perfectly positioned for increased investment in those fields.
And for fund managers seeking investment in public projects, I stressed that Fort Lauderdale has led the way in creative and innovative public-private partnerships, including the deal with David Beckham where the city provided land for his team to build a soccer stadium, training academy and corporate headquarters.
 
Among the projects I discussed included our talks with Elon Musk to build a transit loop between downtown and the beach, our efforts to bring commuter rail service to the area with a train tunnel running through downtown and the need for the city to take increasingly aggressive measures to address climate change and global sea-level rise.
 
Another focus of the trip was trade. There, we joined with the county to pitch how greater Fort Lauderdale can be a strategic partner in imports and exports with the Middle East and gateway to Latin American and Caribbean markets.
 
We talked about the region’s twin economic engines of Port Everglades and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
 
The port operates one of the busiest cargo and cruise operations in the country and is set to become a larger player in the cargo field once the channel is widened and deepened to handle super-size container ships. The airport is widely known for its convenience while offering great domestic service and an expanding list of international connections particularly to the Caribbean and Latin America. 
The UAE’s Minister of Economy and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure were among those we met with. We also sat down with port operators in the UAE and two of their largest chambers of commerce.
 
The Fort Lauderdale delegation left Dubai with some solid leads that we are following up on. We also hope to formalize business relations and further our discussions in the coming months when we anticipate receiving a high-level delegation from the UAE.
 
All of this is part of my early promise to diversify our economy, to bring new and different jobs to a creative workforce that continues to find its way here to our community. The possibilities are endless.

Yours,


Dean
Mayor Trantalis and the City Commission march in the Fort Lauderdale St. Patrick's Day Parade and Festival, which returned after a two-year pandemic hiatus.
Mayor Trantalis, Commissioner Glassman and the Chamber of Commerce celebrate the grand opening of the Glavovic architecture studio.
Mayor Trantalis participates in the Florida AIDS Walk with several of South Florida's most impactful LGBTQ+ resource groups.
Mayor Trantalis and the Dan Marino Foundation have joined together in April for Autism Acceptance Month.
Mayor Trantalis and Commissioners Glassman and Moraitis welcome the Broward League of Cities.
Mayor Trantalis and Broward Mayor Michael Udine receive community awards from Winterfest's Lisa Scott Founds.
Mayor Trantalis recognizes History Fort Lauderdale's director, Patricia Zeiler, during Women's History Month.
Mayor Trantalis congratulates the company TekPartners on its 20th anniversary in Fort Lauderdale.
Mayor Trantalis and Commissioner Glassman celebrate the 75th birthday of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.
Mayor Trantalis cheers on the participants of the downtown Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run.
Mayor Trantalis plays a friendly game of chess with a student during the Mayor's Chess Challenge.
Mayor Trantalis welcomes the new business United Island & Yacht to SE 17th ST.
Mayor Trantalis, MASS District director Dylan Lagi, Commissioner Glassman, and city transportation staff kick-off the "Made To Move" mobility project in Flagler Village.
Mayor Trantalis attends the swearing-in ceremony for Senator Rosalind Osgood(left).