Press conference held to announce Dubai-German Economic Forum

With an invitation from the Ministry of Economy and Trade in Bavaria, the participants were; Mr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, the Deputy Director General of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Mr. Salem Bin Dismal, the Executive Director for Dubai Land, and a representative of the Dubai Authority for Investments, Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Index, the conference and exhibition organizers, responsible for organizing this important event, and Dr. Friedrich, the Director of the German Commercial and Industrial Office in Dubai.

From the German side, the conference was attended by the Deputy Minister of Economy and Trade, the General Secretary for the Ministry, and representative from the Governmental Departments supporting the Dubai-German Economic Forum, being held from 26-28 next May in Munich, Germany.

During the press conference, the German Minister affirmed that his country welcomes hosting a forum of this kind, bearing a great economic and tourism importance for both countries, and that Germany considers the economic climate in the United Arab Emirates in general, and in Dubai in particular to be very important and vital for the marketing of German products in the Middle East, the Arab World, and the Asian and African continents. He added that this is due to the facilities and services provided at the highest level in Dubai to the investors, especially in the free zones of Jebel Ali, Dubai Internet City, and Dubai Media City. He also affirmed that such forums provide the opportunities for the German corporations to cooperate with the UAE companies through the programs set by both sides after considerable research and studies of the business markets in both countries. He pointed out that these studies took into consideration all the economic fields chosen by the organizers, to set the ground for an effective German participation for research, and to establish economic strategies to improve the German presence in Dubai.

From his side, the head of the delegation from Dubai, Mr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, confirmed his trust in the participating corporations and Government departments, which include various economic, sectors which are very important to the economy of the UAE in general, and Dubai's economy in particular. These sectors include banking, construction and real estate, investment corporations, tourism and travel, information technology and media, education, transport, and safety and environmental originations. He pointed out that these corporations working in all these sectors play an important role in attracting German investors to the UAE, and that they provide all the facilities necessary for consolidating investment and bilateral cooperation with the German investor.

Mr. Salem Bin Dismal commented that Dubai enjoys all the economic capabilities and facilities enabling it to be a significant economic hub to attract foreign investment, and he added that Dubai Investments Authority supports this event through its participation in the exhibition and conference. Bin Dismal highlighted that the investment opportunities provided to the German investors through this forum exceed the expectations of economists, and that some of the most important sectors the DIA is concentrating on to attract German investment towards, are health, information technology, media, and tourism.

Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani said at the press conference that the initiative originated from extensive studies carried out by German specialists over a period of 13 months, during which they decided on Munich as the location for this event. He added that Munich has many advantages in various economic fields, such as health, tourism and security. Al Madani assured that all the corporations and government departments in Bavaria welcomed and supported the decision on location, and added that more than 80 of corporations and government departments from Dubai will take part in this significant economic event.

Dr. Friedrich affirmed that German Commercial and Industrial Office in Dubai heavily supports this event. He also thanked the organizers for choosing Germany as the first European country for an economic partnership with Dubai, and assured that all the German trade and economic organizations support this Forum.