Real estate attorney Martin Edelman, a key advisor to the ruling family of the United Arab Emirates, was awarded the country’s Order of the Union, the second-highest civilian honor, on Thursday by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

WAM, the Gulf state’s official news agency, reported that the honor bestowed on Edelman, who has long served as a senior advisor to the UAE’s ruling family, came “in recognition of his role in advancing the UAE’s global strategic partnerships and supporting its economic development vision.”

In a profile last year, Bloomberg described Edelman as “Abu Dhabi’s ‘Man in Manhattan,’” who has been the “American face in the boardroom, helping smooth concerns and solve problems around cross-border investments.”

Edelman told the “Four Star Leadership” podcast in 2022 that his relationship with the Emirati royal family began after meeting former CENTCOM head Gen. (ret.) Tommy Franks, who in 2002 introduced Edelman to MBZ, then the head of the UAE’s military. “That dramatically changed my life,” Edelman said.

Edelman played a key role in the establishment in 2010 of New York University’s Abu Dhabi campus and more recently served as an interlocutor between the U.S. and the Emirati AI firm G42, which is overseen by National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The New York attorney’s relationship with President Donald Trump goes back years, with roots in their real estate work. White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told Bloomberg that Edelman is “trusted by both sides of the aisle and across different cultures.”