Washington, Aug 17 - The United Arab Emirates' (UAE) envoy to the US, Yousef Al Otaiba, has lauded the strong trade ties between the two countries, WAM news agency reported Monday.

He said California alone had exported $1 billion worth of goods to UAE.

Speaking at a meeting of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council (LAWAC), Otaiba also highlighted the strong UAE-US ties in the fields of renewable energy and entertainment.

He said the UAE entertainment companies are increasingly partnering with Los Angeles-based studios to produce films and television programmes.

He met representatives from the Hollywood and Abu Dhabi entertainment industries, senior government officials, business executives and community leaders at the meeting.