Business Bureau, Gulf Today

Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s representative office in Baku, Azerbaijan, participated in the International Business Forum “Moldova 2020: Reshaping the Future of International Economic Cooperation”, which recently took place on the sidelines of “Made in Moldova” national exhibition in Chișinău.

The forum was organised in cooperation with the European Union’s project Enterprise Europe Network with the aim of fostering the investment and commercial cooperation between Moldovan entrepreneurs and the foreign business community.

Forum provided an ideal platform for Dubai Chamber to showcase Dubai’s various competitive advantages that Moldovan companies can benefit from

Leading representatives from SMEs, research institutions and governments at the forum explored new commercial opportunities and prospects to develop Moldovan’s trade relations with other countries around the world.

During the forum, representatives from Dubai Chamber’s Baku office presented an overview of Dubai’s economy and business landscape, in addition to attractive investment opportunities emerging in the emirate ahead of Expo 2020 Dubai. Omar Khan, Director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber, described the Chamber’s the forum as an ideal platform for Dubai Chamber to showcase Dubai’s competitive advantages that Moldovan companies can benefit from.

Khan described Moldova as a market of strategic importance to Dubai, and noted that the country’s well-established agriculture, ICT and manufacturing sectors could complement the emirate, adding that the two business communities could tap into synergies to boost bilateral non-oil trade beyond the Dhs 23 million ($6.2 million) accounted for in 2018.

He highlighted the role of Dubai Chamber’s Baku office in promoting Dubai as a global business hub and building relations with key stakeholders within Eurasian and Eastern European markets.

In addition, he encouraged Moldovan companies to participate in various exhibitions and conferences taking place in Dubai throughout the year, including Gulfood, GITEX and Expo 2020 Dubai, as these events provide a major opportunity to expand their reach across the Middle East, Africa and Asia.

On the sidelines of the forum, Dubai Chamber’s Baku team met with representatives from the Moldova Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Moldovan Investment Agency. Meanwhile, Dubai Chamber’s Accra office recently organised a trade mission to the UAE joined by Ghanaian businessmen who visited Arab Health 2020 and explored concrete business prospects and innovative solutions emerging within Dubai’s healthcare sector.

The visiting delegates, representing leading healthcare and pharmaceutical companies in Ghana, held 350 bilateral business meetings on the sidelines of the annual healthcare exhibition, which centered on distributor partnerships of UAE health brands.

The delegation toured the offices of NAFFCO and Thumbay University Hospital where they met with officials to discuss existing synergies and partnership opportunities. Discussions specifically related to the potential for UAE companies to supply health and disaster management related equipment to Ghanaian institutions, as well as collaboration opportunities in the areas of medical tourism and medical exchange programmes. The delegation attended a seminar at Dubai Chamber’s headquarters where it was briefed on investment opportunities and financing options for healthcare projects. During the event, the delegates connected with Dubai-based finance and IT companies supporting the UAE healthcare sector, including representatives from Gulf Capital, Amarante Investment, Instapract IT Healthcare.

Omar Khan, Director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that the trade mission provided an ideal opportunity for Ghanaian business leaders to learn about Dubai’s fast-growing healthcare market and discuss partnership opportunities with UAE counterparts.

He explained that the visit comes at a time when Ghana is implementing reforms and embracing cutting-edge technologies within its healthcare market. The construction of several new hospitals in the country is creating a need for medical equipment suppliers and specialised healthcare services – key areas where UAE companies can offer expertise and investment, he noted.