DCCI promotes its services before the companies operating in Jafza

The DCCI aimed at introducing the investors and businessmen working in Jafza to the economic activity and commercial services which the DCCI provides to the business community in Dubai to help develop the activities of the economic establishments working under the umbrella of the DCCI.

The meeting, was held at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in the Green Community in Dubai. In attendance were over 100 businessmen and CEOs of companies working in Jafza, Mr. Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, Director General of the DCCI, Mr. Ateeq Juma Naseeb, Director of the Commercial Services Department in the DCCI, Dr. Hussam Al Talhuni, Director of Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC), Mr. Alex Zalmi, Director of Dubai Ethics Resource Center, and Mrs. Shamsah Faree Zainal, Manager of Dubai Trade Point.

Al Mutaiwee focused in his speech on the importance of arranging such a meeting and the keen interest of the DCCI in supporting the activities of the trade establishments working in Dubai, through conducting meetings which help in introducing the business community to the services which the DCCI provides.

"Since its establishment four decades ago, the DCCI plays a significant role in enhancing the commercial activities and developing the legislations that regulate the economic sectors and proposing suggestions which have greatly helped in developing the institutional role of the government departments," said Al Mutaiwee.

He pointed out the importance of Dubai as an economic model to pursue in the region and that the emirate is going through a transformation process from being a business hub in the Middle east to become a world-class business and logistics center.

Al Mutaiwee also highlighted the role of the DCCI in providing an opportunity to hold such meetings to help businessmen communicate with each other through the Dubai Chamber's initiatives in setting up 18 business groups which represent certain economic sectors that cooperate with the DCCI's members, and through the establishment of 34 business councils of foreign countries to help them in developing closer ties with the local business community.

"The DCCI has an ambitious program to further support the local business community and promote Dubai as a world-class destination for trade," he added.

He said that the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Business Award (MRM) was the recent initiative of the DCCI which has been introduced to recognize and celebrate the success of firms that have contributed to the economic development of the UAE.

"The year 2005 has witnessed a series of remarkable initiatives which include the establishment of the Credit Rating Unit in order to provide the DCCI members with world standard services that facilitate trade with foreign markets," said Al Mutaiwee.

He added that the Dubai Trade Point is another service and initiative that aimed at supporting the business sectors in Dubai and help them to market their products and services locally and globally. The Dubai Trade Point is a member of the World Trade Point Federation (WTPF) which caters for 140 members from over 92 countries.

Mr. Atiq Juma Naseeb, Director of the DCCI Commercial Services Department, delivered a presentation in which he highlighted the Chamber's most prominent activities, vision and objectives that meet all the members' requirements through providing them with value-added services and the commercial information necessary for the economic status in the local and international markets.

"DCCI plays a key role in enhancing Dubai's economy through the remarkable services it provides to the business community and the noticeable rise in the number of members, as well as issuing the Certificates of Origin in its headquarters and branches in Jebel Ali, Al-Aweer, Dubai International Airport Free Zone and the Department of Economic Development in Dubai," he said.

"By the end of next March, all the commercial services delivered by DCCI will go fully online, so as to be faster and easier to obtain, particularly for the issue of the Certificates of Origin which any Dacca's member could get through the internet," he added.

Mr. Naseeb also talked about the Credit Rating service provided to the members, mainly the exporters, through which they could get about their trading partners or any company they are interested in dealing with the help of COFACE.

Dr. Hussam Al Talhuni, Director of Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC), spoke about the center which was founded as one of the significant services DCCI delivers to its members. He said DIAC was found to resolve disputes which might occur among firms dealing with each other. The operation mechanism of the Center is based on being the easiest and fastest method for resolving disputes, to help the commercial rivals avoid going to the courts of law.

Mr. Alex Zalami, Director of Dubai's Ethics Resource Center, talked about the importance of delivering value-added services and creating investment competitiveness in the world's markets, stressing that DCCI is the key agent in developing the private sector, as this develops the ethics in trade dealings.

Mrs. Shamsa Freed Zainal, Manager of Dubai Trade Point (DTP), underlined the importance of DTP as one of the latest services that the DCCI has recently launched, aiming to enhance all economic sectors and trading firms in Dubai and enabling them to promote their products and services online through the DTP's website, to smoothly practice trade with any party through the e-commerce system.

Answering the enquiries of the attending investors and CEOs of companies operating in JAFZA about the Chamber's role in protecting and promoting their products, Al-Mutaiwee stressed that the participation of these companies in the overseas trade exhibitions and fairs organized by DCCI would enormously contribute to the promotion of their products and services. He promised them to generate a new mechanism with the objective of helping them promote their products and services locally.

He also stressed that JAFZA-based companies can join as members in the Business Groups which represent specified economic sectors and operate under the umbrella of DCCI.