DCCI receives the newly-appointed Consul General of Pakistan

The meeting discussed the ways aimed to boost the bilateral trade relations between Pakistan and the UAE, Dubai in particular, and the importance of promoting Pakistani products.

Al Mutaiwee welcomed the new Pakistani Consul General and wished him a successful diplomatic mission in the UAE. He also referred to the strong historical relations between both countries and the mutual cooperation in times of crisis, such as the great assistance provided by the UAE to Pakistan after the massive earthquake which hit the country last year.

"The DCCI is interested in playing an outstanding role in boosting the bilateral trade relations between the business community in Dubai and its counterpart in Pakistan, through increasing the number of Pakistani businessmen and investors in Dubai and the importance of having them involved in all sorts of economic events and trade exhibitions which the DCCI organizes," said Al Mutaiwee.

"It is rather important for the Pakistani exporting bodies to provide us with all sorts of information and documents concerning Pakistani products, to ensure their quality, to help in promoting them in the UAE markets, as the UAE is ready to offer all possible assistance in order to develop the volume of trade exchange between Dubai and Pakistan," Al Mutaiwee added.

His Excellency Abdul Hamid, Consul General of Pakistan, highlighted his government's interest in supporting the bilateral trade relations between Dubai and Pakistan, noting the significant role of the DCCI in boosting the ties between the business communities in both countries and the outstanding role that Dubai plays as a hub for international commerce.

"A large number of Pakistani businessmen are investing in various projects in the fields of real estate and construction, and we invite the businessmen and investors from the UAE to increase the volume of their investments for the best benefits of both parties, as Pakistan has been upgrading its infrastructure for the last 10 years, with the availability of many opportunities of investment in the country," said Mr. Hamid.

He noted that the Consulate General of Pakistan in the UAE is currently supporting Pakistani businessmen through the Pakistani Business Council which operates under the umbrella of the DCCI. He also underlined the interest of the consulate to activate the role played by the Pakistani Business Council in cooperation with the Dubai Chamber aiming to develop the bilateral trade ties between the two countries.

Dubai's total foreign non-oil trade with Pakistan reached AED 3.7 billion in 2004. Dubai's total imports from Pakistani in 2004 reached AED 1.3 billion, whereas Dubai's exports to Pakistan in the same year reached AED 308.8 million, and Dubai's total re-exports to Pakistan in 2004 reached AED 2.1 billion.