DCCI shares in organizing the second Emirates-Germany Economic Partnership Forum next May

Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI) organizes the Second Emirates-Germany Economic Partnership Forum next May in cooperation with the Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the German Industry and Commerce Bureau in the UAE and Index Conference and Exhibitions Organization Establishment, with support from the Ministries of Economy in the UAE and Germany, the UAE Embassy in Berlin, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai, Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation in Dubai, the Department of Planning and Economy in Abu Dhabi, and all other chambers of commerce and industry in the UAE, in addition to the Arabic-Germany Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Economy in Munich city in Bavaria State in Germany.

The announcement of the Forum was made during the press conference which the DCCI arranged yesterday and attended by Mr. Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, Director General of the DCCI, Mr. Abdullah Sultan Abdullah, General Secretary of the Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, His Excellency Walter Leuchs, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in the UAE, Dr. Jurgen Friedrich, Representative of the German Industry and Commerce Bureau in Dubai, Mr. Sultan Majid Lootah, Acting Director of Business Promotion Department in the DCCI, and Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Managing Director of Index Conference and Exhibitions Organization Establishment, the technical organizer of the Forum.

In his speech, the DCCI's director general pointed out that the Second Emirates-Germany Economic Partnership Forum comes as a response to the outstanding success of the Forum and its associated exhibition held last year in Essen city in Germany, and thanks to the encouraging results which urged more government and private companies to ensure their participation in this year's Forum aiming to explore new concepts of cooperation between the UAE and Germany and support the trade exchange between both countries.

"Organizing the Emirates-Germany Economic Partnership Forum for the second successive year was decided in the line of the DCCI's new strategic plan that aimed at enhancing the economic and trade cooperation between the UAE and Germany, encouraging the private sector establishments to participate in supporting the national economy and attracting more German investors in order to create a sort of commercial balance between both countries, as the UAE is a strategic partner to Germany in the region," said Al Mutaiwee.

He noted that the Forum aims at enhancing the strong bilateral economic and strategic relationships between the UAE and Germany, setting up more economic joint ventures among the businessmen in both countries, attracting the German investments to the UAE, utilizing the German technological expertise in the country and introducing the investment opportunities available in the UAE.

He stressed that this year's Forum will experience the activation of the bilateral cooperation agreement which was signed during the UAE-Germany Economic Partnership Forum last year between the Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, with the presence of Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Planning in Abu Dhabi and the then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.

"The Forum this year will also reflect the benefits which the UAE is still enjoying after signing the bilateral cooperation agreement with Germany last year which are featured in the promotion of the commercial and investment enterprises, opening new formal channels to promote these projects among the majority of German businessmen and the facilitation of transferring and exchanging expertise and information and increasing the bilateral trade visits and introducing the investment opportunities available in all sectors in both countries," Al Mutaiwee added.

He added that the UAE is much interested in Germany for being one of the biggest economic powers in Europe due to its remarkable technological development during the past years, and that the strategic location of the UAE and positioning as an international financial and service centre has helped in attracting more German and foreign investors to the country.

The UAE's foreign non-oil trade with Germany has remarkably increased in the past few years when its reached AED 13 billion in 2004, whereas the country's total foreign non-oil trade with Germany through Dubai reached AED 9.6 billion by the end of 2004.

Dubai's total imports from Germany in 2004 reached AED 9 billion, while Dubai's total exports to Germany in the same year reached AED 83.3 million, while Dubai's total re-exports to Germany in 2004 hit AED 534.3 million.

Mr. Abdullah Sultan Abdullah, General Secretary of the Federation of the UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the role played by such economic forums in supporting the trade ties between the UAE and the countries in which these forums are held. He also stressed the strong relationships between the UAE and Germany thanks to the mutual visits which highly contributed to double the volume of trade exchange between the two countries during 2000 to 2005. The UAE's imports from Germany surged from Euro 3548 million in 2004 to Euro 3878 million, with an increasing rate of 20.4 %, as these imports reflect around 2 % of the UAE's total imports in 2005.

"The UAE's non-oil exports to Germany have recorded a remarkable rise in 2005 reaching Euro 327 million, compared to Euro 323.7 million in 2004, with an increasing rate of 6.9 %. These feature helped the UAE to be one of the biggest partners to Germany in the Middle East region, and holding this Forum would help also increase the number of participating private sector companies," said Abdullah.

His Excellency Walter Leuchs, Consul General of Germany in the UAE, praised the diplomatic and economic relations between the UAE and Germany stressing that his government is much interested in such economic forums.

Dr. Hurgen Friedrich, Representative of the German Industry and Commerce Bureau in Dubai, called for activating coordination and cooperation between the two countries to explore and make advantage of the investment opportunities available in both countries.

"This year's Forum will focus on several issues such as the Business-to-Business dialogue among the economic bodies in both countries to learn more about the investment opportunities available and to take advantage of the information which will be delivered during the Forum's seminars and lectures which will talk about business developments in the fields of infrastructure, healthcare, tourism, information technology and other issues," said Dr. Friedrich.

He added that there are more than 500 German companies operating in the UAE with a total investment of Euro 20 to 30 million, and that there are more than 5 German commercial offices in the UAE.

Mr. Abdul Salam Al Madani, Managing Director of Index Conference and Exhibitions Organization Establishment, the technical organizer of the Forum, said that the Forum, held last year in Essen city in Germany, was visited by more than 3700 top businessmen, investors and CEOs, while the Forum's associated exhibition was visited by over 5000 people. A number of worthy direct commercial contracts worth more than AED 2 billion, were signed at last year's Forum, in addition to other investment contracts worth hundreds of millions of Dirhams.

The Forum held last year has also witnessed the introduction of the new investment opportunities and projects in the UAE. In the meantime, around 540 German companies and trade investments showed their keen interest to take part in this year's Forum, as well as a large number of German businessmen who decided to open new commercial representative offices in Dubai and its related free zones.

"Over 200 exhibitors, businessmen and speakers from the UAE are expected to take part in the Emirates-Germany Economic Partnership Forum this year, in addition to the anticipated participation of over 2000 businessmen from Germany, where a number of lectures, seminars, workshops and presentations will be conducted among the businessmen of both countries," said Mr. Al Madani.

"This year's Forum has a special importance as it is expected to witness the first meeting of the businessmen from the UAE and Germany, in accordance with the bilateral cooperation agreement signed between both countries last year, and the mutual business council which was formed during last year's Forum as part of the signed agreement and which includes 28 members equality divided between the two countries," he added.

A lecture is scheduled to be conducted during the Forum this year by the DCCI's director general in which he will highlight the Dubai Chamber's interest and effort to organize this Forum to stress its role in enhancing cooperation and developing trade and investment ties among the businessmen in both countries. The DCCI also participates in the Forum's associated exhibition in which the DCCI team will answer the inquiries expected to be imposed by the visitors of businessmen and investors concerning the availability of information about the trade volumes between the two countries, the investment opportunities available in Dubai and the facilities and services provided by the Dubai Government through the DCCI to foreign investors, as well as the necessary procedures to be maintained to start a new commercial activity in Dubai.