UK's South East Region promotes Dubai as a winning business destination

The seminar will offer UK businesses the opportunity to learn about export prospects in a wide variety of sectors; including construction, financial services, ICT, healthcare, transport infrastructure, leisure, sports, tourism, as well as education and training

'Dubai is growing at a rapid rate and offers many business opportunities for companies, with exports from UK's South East Region reaching £349 million in 2006', said Dermot Shean of UKTI South East Region.

Dermot added that the seminar will also include presentations by an experienced UKTI International Trade Adviser; as well as a client case study from the MD of a company which is successfully exporting to Dubai and the UAE. In addition there will be speakers from The Middle East Association and Dubai's Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing.

'We now organise an annual Market Visit to Dubai to explore the potentially immense trading opportunities', added Dermot. This year the South East Market Visit is scheduled to take place from 18th to 22nd November.

The British Consul General, John Hawkins, said that he was delighted that British exporters were continuing to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities Dubai and the whole of the UAE have to offer. He expressed his gratitude to the Dubai authorities for everything they have done to make Dubai an attractive hub for British business.

Dubai is an open market and the competition is tough. But we know that British companies have more to offer and we at the British Embassy will be working harder than ever to encourage more companies to come to Dubai; both to invest and to use Dubai as a strategic base from which to target the markets of the region', said John Hawkins.

This very healthy picture has also been reflected in the day to day activities of the Commercial Section at the British Embassy in Dubai. Claire Evans, Deputy Consul General and Head of Trade and Investment, reported that last year the number of individual British business visitors using the Embassy trade services rose by 27% to 352. The UKTI team also dealt with a significant increase in Market Visits. In 2006 the team will be assisting almost 600 UK companies at 32 supported exhibitions, up from 26 in 2005. We also expect to welcome many visitors who continue to come under their own steam to exhibit with their local partners.