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New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy will lead an economic mission to Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates from April 25 to May 3, aiming to boost economic and academic ties with Gulf countries and attract investment into his state.
Against the backdrop of a global trade war, Murphy’s visit will focus on deepening cooperation with countries that have recently announced plans to invest more than $2 trillion in the US economy over the next decade. It will be his first to Saudi Arabia since his time as a senior executive at Goldman Sachs almost two decades ago, Murphy said in an interview.
“This is a trip we’ve been planning a long time,” he said. Discussions will focus on creating jobs and investments in New Jersey, as well as sharing “best practices” that may be useful to Gulf countries: The state will host the 2026 men’s soccer World Cup final — it is speaking to Qatar about its experience hosting in 2022 and intends to pass on learnings to Riyadh for 2034. “There’s no reason why we wouldn’t want to pay that forward.”
Industries such as manufacturing, artificial intelligence, life sciences, food and beverage, and financial services will be promoted to Gulf investors, Murphy said.
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Murphy, a Democrat in his final year in office, has led similar trips in Asia and Europe, and plans additional missions to Israel, India, and Mexico: He said there are opportunities for states to differentiate themselves within the broader US context.
“I don’t agree with everything my government does, but we’re still, in my humble opinion, the greatest nation on earth, and I still think our brand is extremely strong,” he said. “There’s been a lot of volatility in our brand lately, and I’m confident that will settle down.”