Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has separately received two high-level diplomatic delegations from Bahrain and Cuba to discuss best practices and regulations for serving the interests of its members and the private sector in Sharjah and the UAE.
The meetings focused on enhancing economic relations between the business communities and exploring investment opportunities in various sectors. In the first meeting, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman, received Saud Hasan Ali Al-Nisf, Consul-General of Bahrain in Dubai, in the presence of Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General.
The two sides stressed improving coordination to develop programmes and initiatives that would promote and inform the business communities in Sharjah and Bahrain about the available investment opportunities and ways to strengthen economic cooperation within a strategic framework, and the need to build on the close ties to foster greater collaboration in various sectors.
Al Owais warmly welcomed Al-Nisf on his first visit to the Chamber, expressing confidence that the visit would yield positive outcomes and contribute to further strengthening of economic and trade relations between the UAE and Bahrain.
He also lauded the long-standing partnership between the two nations, which has experienced a notable surge in trade exchange, with a growth rate of over 92 percent in the last ten years. The trade volume reached AED23.7 billion last year, compared to AED12.3 billion in 2012, indicating significant progress.
He stressed that the Sharjah Chamber is committed to expanding its collaboration with the Bahraini to foster strategic relationships across various sectors.
The Consul-General of Bahrain was given a tour of the Chamber's various sections and departments, where he expressed his admiration for the high-quality services offered to benefit the local business community. He also commended the Chamber's advanced and innovative facilities, designed to cater to its associate members' needs.
During the tour, he also spoke highly of Sharjah's local industries, showcased in the permanent exhibition of national industrial products at the Chamber's headquarters.
The meeting concluded with both sides emphasising their commitment to exploring new avenues of cooperation between Sharjah and Bahrain and utilising all available resources to advance the close economic relations between the two countries' private sectors and elevate them to more advanced levels. The two sides also called for collaborating on organising joint introductory seminars to familiarise themselves with the business environment and investment opportunities available to both parties.
In a separate meeting, Al Owais received Norberto Escalona Carrillo, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to the UAE. The two sides discussed ways to develop economic cooperation and trade exchange between Sharjah and Cuba. They also discussed several topics of mutual interest, including how to leverage the available investment opportunities and strengthen communication mechanisms to facilitate reciprocal visits of business owners, missions, and trade delegations from both sides.