Pritzker to lead Middle East mission

   Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will lead a senior-executive business development mission to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the Commerce Department announced Monday.
   “Connecting U.S. businesses with opportunities in new markets is fundamental to the mission of the Department of Commerce and our ‘Open for Business Agenda,’” stated Pritzker. “This is a particularly exciting time to be looking toward the Middle East and countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar as a destination for U.S. exports, especially in the infrastructure sector. Exports now support nearly 10 million U.S. jobs, up 1.3 million since 2009.”
   The mission, which will be March 8-14, will highlight export opportunities for U.S. businesses with an emphasis on project management and engineering (including construction, architecture and design); renewable energy (solar, wind, waste-to-energy); smart grid and energy efficiency; and environmental technologies (including water/wastewater, air pollution control, and waste management), according to the Department of Commerce.