Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry visits key international organisations

The Chamber also called on France's International Chamber of Commerce, Federation of International Chambers of Commerce; Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce in Berlin, Germany; and also leading German universities.

SCCI's Europe visit was aimed to both identify and emulate best chamber and business practices and
exchange ideas with key global institutions on wide-ranging topics that figure on the global agenda including climate change, energy and environment conservation, international trade among others.

The audience with the key organisations proved highly valuable, as it gave the Chamber an
opportunity to learn more about how it could enhance the international presence and partnerships of its members. The SCCI invited the organisations to visit Sharjah to apply specialized studies to support local businesses, especially in the industrial and agricultural sectors and also eco-oriented sectors.

France's International Chamber of Commerce is regarded as one of the main institutions that is
involved in the promotion of global trade and industry. The Chamber also assists in organising
workshops that aim to help all chambers of commerce around the world at various levels of commercial arbitration and also helps develop the chambers' organisational structure and specialised common programmes for the members.

"Our recent European trip reflects our commitment to improving our organizational productivity, particularly through the adoption of world-class strategies and concepts that will properly direct our thrust towards Sharjah's accelerated economic growth. Our visit to the WTO in particular has motivated us to enhance our regional and international activities. We also opened up several possibilities in terms of future partnerships and programs that will benefit the emirate and its economy,"

said SCCI General Manager Hussein Al Mahmoudi.

The Chamber explored numerous opportunities for multilateral cooperation in various projects that
entail support to the Chamber, especially in the areas of market analysis, trade opportunities,
feasibility studies and enhancing services provided to the members. The Chamber also offered to host workshops organised by other countries at its new building and conference facilities. Al Mahmoudi led the tour, which traversed Switzerland, France, Germany, and Austria.

During the meetings, SCCI sought the possible coordination and signing of memoranda of understanding in specialized fields such as arbitration, training and development. The Chamber also focused on its possible role as an exclusive partner of global institutions in the UAE and the Gulf. Each session provided the SCCI General Manager with valuable insights on new business opportunities as well as best practices and strategies that could be integrated into the operations and plans of the Chamber and its members.