Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Gulf Today, Business Bureau

As part of its efforts to support business continuity and ensure that private sector benefits from its various services and initiatives, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry organised 18 digital seminars during March and April, covering various areas of the Chamber’s activities, and attracted more than 800 participants from various sectors and companies private sector.

During this period, the Chamber also participated in 38 video meetings with business groups and councils, in addition to associations. Discussions were held on how to enhance cooperation and mechanisms to address the current challenges in the wake of the spread of Coronavirus (Covid-19).

Dubai Chamber’s smart transformation of services played a key role in organising these meetings and workshops with the business community, which were within the Chamber’s framework of adapting to the global challenges brought about by Covid-19. This also reflected the Chamber’s preparedness in having the technical infrastructure to communicate and interact with private sector representatives smoothly.

The virtual events, seminars and training workshops aimed at enhancing the awareness of the private sector on various topics and issues related to the business environment, economic sectors and sustainable best practices, and how to face the challenges and consequences of this crisis.

The Dubai Startup Hub organised the largest number of virtual activities, with a total of 10 events. The most notable of that was the “The Emirati Development Programme”, which witnessed an impressive participation and the selection of 30 participants who will get guidance and mentoring in honing their skills and attend training through the Training & Mentorship Academy, which has been set up in collaboration with Dubai Technology Entrepreneurs Campus (DTEC).

The Centre for Responsible Business also witnessed remarkable activity during this period especially from Dubai Chamber’s Sustainability network, whose task force organised a number of virtual seminars that focused on various topics of interest to the private sector. These includes the safety of commercial vehicle drivers, recommendations to enhance the health and safety of employees, and ensure the continuity of the supply and distribution chain and protect workers in light of the challenges due to Covid-19.

Dubai Chamber also organised an online session on “The Legal Impact of Covid-19 on employment in the UAE”, with 278 participants from various sectors of the business community. The seminar reviewed the latest developments related to legislation governing the relationship between employers and their workers.

The Chamber provides an integrated system of smart and electronic services that cover all the needs and requirements of the business community, which enables its customers to complete all their transactions remotely, easily and in accordance with the highest international standards.

The smart services provided by the Chamber include certificates of origin, attestations, membership services, studies, research and reports, business and legal services, issuance of ATA Carnet, Dubai Chamber’s CSR Label, and Business Groups and Councils groups services in addition to the services available to economic and professional bodies.

Meanwhile, leading a virtual business meeting, organised by the Dubai Chamber with representatives of the public and private sector, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Commissioner-General of Dubai Economic Track, assured that the public and private sectors are partners in facing the challenges of the current phase related to the spread and impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19). He pointed out that Dubai has stood out in the way it has dealt with the challenge and done crisis management, especially in the area of protecting the health and safety of all citizens and residents, and ensuring business continuity and efficiency, noting that the combined efforts of the public and private sectors will make Dubai able to overcome these challenges.

Present in the meeting were most notably Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of the Expo 2020, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO CEO of DP World, Helal Saeed Al-Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Hamad Buamim, President & CEO, of Dubai Chamber, Dr. Amer Ahmed Sharif, Head of Dubai’s Center for Coronavirus Control (CCC), in addition to members of the Advisory Board of Multinationals Business Group and the International Advocacy Council.