Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry participated in  the Annual Investment Meeting, launched recently in its seventh edition under the patronage of  His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai . The event is due to run until  4 April at Dubai International Financial Center, with official delegations taking part from 140 nations. This year’s edition is held under the theme “International Investment, the Path to Competitiveness and Development”, and discuses developing international investment with a focus on Foreign Direct Investors (FDI) .

Sharjah Chamber showcased at the dedicated pavilion for government departments and authorities and free zones and in collaboration with the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) the most important services it provides to its clients and the business community in Sharjah, as part of its role to enhance economic establishments and attract foreign investment to the emirate.

Khaled bin Butti Al Hajeri, Director General, stressed that “taking part in this event provides a perfect opportunity to meet regional and international establishments and chambers of commerce, enhance ties with them and benefit from them to support the business community and the private sector in Sharjah emirate.”

Al Hajeri added: “This participation comes within Sharjah Chamber’s work plan for 2017 that focuses on attending regional and international events to build cooperation and partnerships with new entities and sign MoUs with prestigious international establishments, exchange information and expertise with them, and promote the outstanding environment for investment and the huge abundant opportunities in the emirate and promote the services that the Chamber provides to the business community, in addition to exploring means for cooperation in training and development, to elevate the efficiency of staff and workers at the Chamber and the private sector in Sharjah emirate.”

HE Abdullah Sultan Al Oweis, Chairman of the Board, accompanied by HE Abdullah Duaifis, board member, and Khaled bin Butti Al Hajeri, Director General, held a number of meetings with head delegates and met Mrs. Hiba Salmah, CEO of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), a commercial organization comprising 19 countries that aims to achieve cooperation and development in economic activities and especially in the fields of industry, energy, transportation, communication and wireless communication, and developing commercial and investment relations between countries within a frame of economic development of the African continent, as his excellency discussed with her means of developing and enhancing cooperation between them for the common good, opening new horizons for Emirati businessmen to invest in COMESA countries and attract businessmen and investors from those countries to invest in the emirate. 

The two parties agreed that Sharjah Chamber will take part a meeting dedicated to encouraging economic investment in Africa to be held by COMESA in Sharm Al Sheikh, Egypt from 7 – 9 December later this year.

Khaled bin Butti Al Hajeri said: “This meeting reflects our keenness to achieve common goals in enhancing frameworks of cooperation to widen the scope of enterprises and utilize available resources to achieve sustainable economic development by broadening and developing the base for investment to include all COMESA countries and their promising markets and present huge opportunities to Emirati businessmen with various investment essentials, and he stressed the Chamber’s commitment to providing all facilities and services to set up a comprehensive work plan for communication between the local private sector’s activities and their counterparts in COMESA countries to achieve more growth and mutual investment in the medium and long runs.   

Bin Butti said our participation in the investment meeting due to take place in Egypt will give us the opportunity to meet ministers of COMESA countries to explore investment partnerships in transportation, agriculture, industry and construction, and will provide a perfect medium for Emirati businessmen and investors to learn about investment and resources available in COMESA countries with their strategic location as a vital portal for utilizing human and natural resources in those countries, which will have a positive effect on enhancing the UAE’s and Sharjah’s status as regional and international hubs for business and investment. 

Sharjah Chamber’s delegation,  headed by Abdullah Sultan Al Oweis, also met HE Ali Ukline, head of the Turkish delegation taking part in this event, and the two sides discussed means to increase commercial activities between Sharjah and Turkey and double the participation in economic events and exhibitions held in the two countries. The two sides discussed developing relations between the business sectors in the two countries that have seen exponential growth in recent years, and create and develop new initiatives and work programs for the coming stages to fulfil the ambitions of businessmen in both countries. 

Sharjah Chamber’s delegation continues to hold more meetings with different participating delegations to achieve its aims to attract more capital and investment to the emirate, enhance Sharjah’s position as a preferred destination for investment for companies and regional and international business sectors, and positively and effectively contribute to developing the UAE’s economy as a whole.