On November 21, the “Abu Dhabi - Moscow Investment Forum” opened at the Lotte Hotel, in Moscow. The Forum was attended by the Head of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Mr. Maxim Oreshkin, Minister of the Government of Moscow and Head of the Department of Foreign Economic and International Relations of the City of Moscow, Mr. Sergey Cheryomin, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Russia, Mrs. Mariam Al-Hayley, the Vice President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Suren Vardanyan.
The Investment Forum was held in the framework of the Abu Dhabi Investment Week, in Moscow, and was focused on discussing the positioning of Abu Dhabi as a new business and investment course. The organizer of the Abu Dhabi Investment Week in Moscow was the Abu Dhabi Investment Office. The Forum included discussions, primarily focusing on investments, energy, health, finance, education, information and communication technologies, the agricultural sector, tourism, aviation and logistics. The economic and investment potential of Moscow was presented by the Head of the Department for Foreign Economic and International Relations of the city, Mr. Cheryomin.
The Vice-President of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Vardanyan, presented the range of activities of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with an emphasis on the work of public organizations – its guilds and committees. Today, the guilds and MCCI’s committees bring together key experts from the Moscow business community, working in various segments and industries.
“The MCCI is now organizing the participation of the MCCI guilds in the whole spectrum of industrial exhibitions for finding partners and expanding the scope of activities. In addition, within the MCCI, there is an institute of commissions for cooperation with foreign partners in various countries.
The Commission for working with partners in the UAE is one of the most active segments of the MCCI, resulting in the increased interest of Emirates’ partners in working in Russia. In addition, the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry initiated the creation of the Council of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of cities – the centers of business activity in the Euro-Asian space. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry are aimed at promoting their member companies. For this purpose, the MCCI has created a digital platform, the “Business Market””, said Mr. Vardanyan. He also noted that the Moscow Government takes investment very seriously, advising investors at all stages, creating the most comfortable conditions both in terms of tax advantages, in matters of land selection, communications, etc. The developed infrastructure of technopolises and techno parks of Moscow helps to localize production of very diverse profiles.
The news of the Forum was the opening of the office of the sovereign fund of the United Arab Emirates, Mubadala, in Moscow. The fund is looking for new opportunities for cooperation with the Russian Direct Investment Fund in many industries, with the oil and gas fields being the priorities.
In the framework of the Forum, a separate session was devoted to the discussion of agricultural technologies and the application of digital solutions in the agricultural sector. The Forum also invited experts to discuss the possibility of investor participation in the development of tourist facilities in Sochi.
The Abu Dhabi’s investment week in Moscow also included governmental meetings with the private sector, business meetings and tours, which was be attended by companies’ leaders, investors and officials from both sides.