Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The newly-formed board of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers under the recently restructured Dubai Chambers, held its first meeting at the organisation’s headquarters on Monday where it discussed the Chamber’s priorities and plans for the rest of the year.

The meeting, headed Omar bin Sultan Al Olama, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, was attended by board members Ahmad Abdullah bin Byat; Hamad Obaid Al Mansoori; Khalid Ahmed Al Tayer; Rashid Abdullah Al Ghurair; Fadi Ghandour; Mona Ataya; Rashid Mohamed Alabbar; Ronaldo Mouchawar; Mudassir Sheikha; Mansour Al Habtoor; Elissa Freiha; Dany Farha; and Hind Abdul Hamied Seddiqi.  Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Ahmad Abdullah bin Byat was named Vice Chair of the board of Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, while board members discussed the various roles that the Chamber will play in enhancing Dubai’s value proposition and economic competitiveness in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Announced earlier this year, the directives established a new structure for Dubai Chamber comprising three chambers – namely, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Chamber of International Trade and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

During the meeting,  Al Olama announced that the board has adopted a new roadmap with the aim of accelerating the growth of Dubai’s digital economy and doubling the number of digital companies operating in the emirate in the coming years.

“This roadmap will elevate Dubai’s position as a global leader in digital economy, and attract specialised talent, leading companies and new investments to the market. Homegrown success stories such as Careem and Souq have boosted Dubai’s appeal as a hub for e-commerce and digital economy, and we hope to raise the bar even higher by attracting other global players that can support the emirate’s digital economy ambitions and innovation ecosystem,” said  Al Olama.0


Photo used for illustrative purpose.

He noted that the board of directors of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy will work towards achieving other key objectives, such as fostering best practices and partnerships, organising roadshows, lobbying and policy advocacy, market creation, self-regulation, training and business promotion. In addition, he noted that the board would review and approve new initiatives and programmes designed to support Dubai’s digital economy objectives, provide feedback on legislation and regulatory changes and identify market challenges and opportunities.

The formation of three chambers of commerce is aimed at supporting international trade and the digital economy and a five-year plan to increase Dubai’s foreign trade from Dhs 1.4 trillion to Dhs 2 trillion over the next five years.

 Meanwhile, the newly formed board of Dubai Chamber of Commerce, one of the three chambers under the recently restructured Dubai Chambers, held its first meeting last week at the organisation’s headquarters where it adopted a 90-day plan to drive business growth in Dubai.


Photo used for illustrative purpose.

Among the plan’s objectives are: maximising exposure of Expo 2020 Dubai by driving participation and attracting 100,000 business leaders to attend the mega event; addressing key challenges facing companies and setting priorities on a federal and local level with the aim of developing effective solutions; and supporting the development of digital economy as a key contributor to the emirate’s sustainable growth.

The objectives are supported by the Future Growth Forum, which was recently launched by Dubai Chamber as a platform to promote public-private sector cooperation. The first forum, held earlier this week, was attended by 500 business leaders representing 24 sectors. Participants at the forum took part in several workshops where they identified 800 priorities and recommendations for improving ease of doing business and reducing the cost of doing business in Dubai.

Board members discussed the various roles that Dubai Chamber of Commerce will play in enhancing Dubai’s value proposition and economic competitiveness in line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced in March of this year. The directives established a new structure for Dubai Chamber comprising three chambers – namely, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Dubai Chamber of International Trade and Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy.

Established in 1965, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry is a non-profit public entity, whose mission is to represent, support and protect the interests of the business community in Dubai by creating a favourable business environment, supporting the development of business, and by promoting Dubai as an international business hub.

 Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry provides an integrated system of smart and electronic services that cover all the requirements of the business community, enabling businesses to complete all their transactions remotely easily, easily and according to the highest international standards. The Chamber is one of the pioneer provider of smart services, with smart transformation of 98% of its core services, which can be accessed using the smart application of the Chamber or by visiting the website.