Council members pose for a group photograph.

Inayat-ur-Rahman, Deputy Business Editor

The Pakistan Business Council (PBC) has announced an ambitious business growth strategy for 2021-2022 bucking the global trends.

The Dubai’s most active trade body PBC at its 17th edition of elections which were held in Dubai chose the best and the most popular members as Board of Directors to run the office for 2021-2022.

Council members exercised their right to vote between the contestants of the United Business Panel and the four independent candidates. The United Business Panel won the election with a sweeping turnout.

Thereafter, the newly elected Board of Directors unanimously elected the veteran entrepreneur Ahmed Shaikhani as its new president for 2021-2022 tenure at a ceremony held at The Address Boulevard Hotel Dubai.

Ahmed Shaikhani, popularly known as the brain behind Brand Pakistan in Dubai among his peers has ambitious plans to convert the council’s trade promotion activities into boosting the bilateral trade and investment between the UAE and Pakistan.

“I am humbled and thankful to the well-respected members of the Board of Directors who have once again put their trust in me. It is a challenge as well as my mission to make the council more productive and make every member a regular contributor to the economies of both the UAE and Pakistan. My focus will be on Pakistan’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai, organizing business activities related to this mega event and making the Pakistan Pavilion a model of permanent success in District2020 Dubai,” Shaikhani, added.

Elections were held at the newly build state-of-the-art auditorium of the Pakistan Association Dubai amid fierce competition for 7 positions for the Board of Directors.

All candidates have track-records of successful business ventures in the Middle East’s commercial hub – Dubai, and their continuous contribution to the council in particular, and to the UAE and Pakistan economies in general.

Candidates who were elected for Board of Director roles are: Sultan Mahmood from So-Safe Waters; Imran Chaudhary, Cinergie, Ahmed Shaikhani, Memon Investment, Muhammad Iqbal Dawood, Altlantic Motors, Mustafa Altaf Hussain, Altaf Hussain Trading, Shabbir Merchant, Champion Neon, Mustafa Hemani, Hemani Trading.

Ahmed Shaikhani has an eventful history of leading the business council and its activities and making it as one of the most active, productive and the most successful business councils in Dubai.

Ahmed played an instrumental role in organizing high profile business conferences and connecting high dignitaries from the Pakistan government with the Pakistani diaspora and with the UAE entities and authorities during his previous tenure in 2016-2018.