Earlier this year, the UAE Embassy launched a new podcast called Podbridge. Dedicated to covering ideas of shared interest between the UAE, the US and other areas of the world, Podbridge aims to promote international cooperation and engagement. The podcast is primarily hosted by Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, who invites thought leaders from around the world to share their insights on the most pressing global issues we face today.
Ambassador Al Otaiba kicked off the very first episode, “Lessons of the Pandemic,” with Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Tom Mihaljevic and Children’s National Hospital CEO Dr. Kurt Newman. The two healthcare professionals and administrators joined to discuss their experiences with the global outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Talking in the early days of social distancing and self-quarantining, Drs. Mihaljevic and Newman discussed the valuable lessons learned by the medical community during the first wave. They also analyzed the responses to COVID-19 in the UAE and US, noting in particular how the two countries have informed and supported each other’s medical responses to the virus.
Subsequent Podbridge episodes have focused on other issues of concern. In an episode from July, the Ambassador talked about the future of space exploration with H.E. Sarah Al Amiri, the UAE Minister of Advanced Technology and Deputy Project Manager of the Emirates Mars Mission, and Dr. Ellen Stofan, Director of the National Air and Space Museum and former Chief Scientist of NASA.
In a more recent episode, he explored the historic journey between the UAE and Israel to reach an agreement that has come to be known as the Abraham Accords, joined by US Middle East policy experts Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, and Dan Shapiro.
Episodes are delivered on an approximately monthly basis, though some have come more frequently than that. Podbridge is available on all major podcast listening platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and TuneIn, among others.
As the Podbrige series grows, additional hosts will be added to the rotation. Experts in various fields will continue to be brought in to discuss trade, technology, art, health, security, sports, and other cultural, scientific, and social topics that better connect the UAE, US and the world. These interesting and informative conversations have only one goal in mind: to help people learn more about each other, including the values we share and what brings us all together.
Find out more about Ambassador Al Otaiba’s involvement with Podbridge, listen to the most recent episodes and subscribe on the Podcast page.