Business Bureau, Gulf Today

SHARJAH: The Industrial Sector’s Business Group, operating under the umbrella of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), has discussed the SCCI strategy to enhance the industrial sector’s contribution to Sharjah economic growth, activate forward-looking plans and improve the industrial sector’s competitiveness in the business community.

Chaired by Lalu Samuel, chairman of the industrial sector’s Business Group, the meeting was attended by Abdelaziz Mohamed Shattaf, Assistant Director General for Members Services Sector at SCCI, Director of Sharjah Exports Development Center (SEDC) and Amjad Awad al Karim, Head of the Working Groups at SCCI, as well as other group members.

The meeting discussed a variety of coordination and follow-up mechanisms related to the development plans of the industrial sector, which represents a fundamental pillar of the Economic Diversification and Future Foresight Strategy.

The meeting also touched on the importance of external expansion and penetrating new markets thanks to the high quality of Sharjah industrial products, which meet the requirements of regional and international markets.

Highlighting the importance of external expansion in getting rewarding investment opportunities, the participants identified new markets and promising destinations for exporting Sharjah industrial products, most notably Iraq and Azerbaijan.

The participants also emphasised that supporting the local industry, enhancing its competitiveness and ability to excel and innovate is a top priority. They further stressed that the public sector is capable of achieving a paradigm shift in industrial sector of Sharjah.

This can be done, as said in the meeting, by granting the industrial sector a stake in government projects and evaluating its practices according to the best international practices, which will thereby boost public-private partnerships, enhance the industrial sector’s competitiveness in the region and support sustainable development in Sharjah.

Abdulaziz Shattaf noted that the meeting was held to support SCCI efforts aiming surmount challenges facing different economic sectors in Sharjah and help them find solutions that develop their performance according to the highest international standards.

He pointed out that the meeting has resulted in a set of significant recommendations that will be mulled over and implemented to achieve common interests.

These recommendations include the launch of an innovative marketing platform for the industrial sector in cooperation with the Sharjah Exports Development Center. This is because the well-thought-out marketing is one of the most creative means for promoting the industrial sector and highlighting its competitive advantages in the local, regional and global markets, Shattaf added.

For his part, Lalu Samuel emphasised the SCCI significant role in handling challenges facing the private sector and finding effective links with the government sector to improve the levels of communication and coordination among all stakeholders in Sharjah economic sector.

He added that the meeting participants reviewed and discussed a number of topics that epitomise a roadmap for upgrading the industrial sector to better levels of growth.

Samuel concluded by stressing the importance of supporting the industrial sector in Sharjah through providing it with a quote in government projects and adopting an integrated plan for external expansion in nearby markets. This will definitely and strongly boost the industrial sector and enhance its ability to devise innovative solutions, Samuel said.

It may be note that Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, established in 1970 to effectively and vitally participate in the organisation of economic life and the prosperity of its trade, industry and professions sectors at all levels and in cooperation with the concerned establishments and bodies and local departments, is keen on including in its membership all the companies and establishments practicing economic activity in the emirate whether it is trade, industries or professions. It has been obligatory for the chamber to follow the economic and civilisational development witnessed by United Arab Emirates a matter that naturally requires change on the different services and activities of the chamber. The law No (1) of the year 1980 organising the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry was issued too include the articles of association and the legal rules and provisions drawing the chamber’s ambitious objects and set the means for its achievement through administrative and executive body having positions according to responsibilities.

The chamber’s board of directors supervises the execution of the general policy and is working on the means for the success of such policy and the reflection of the chamber’s role in the local community.