The Marriott Aurora Hotel, Moscow, was the site of the conference, the "Opportunities for cooperation with companies of the Emirate of Sharjah (UAE)".
The event was organized by the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the “Incona Company” with the support of the Russian-Emirati Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation. The conference was held in the business mission of the Emirate of Sharjah to Moscow and St. Petersburg.
As the Vice President of the MCCI, Mr. Suren Vardanyan, noted: "The Emirates are not just a region, which Moscow’s firms regard as desirable businesswise, - the UAE is a pathway to other countries. And we highly appreciate the experience and the opportunities that they offer us. In addition, Mr. Vardanian stressed the importance of cultural communication in building international ties. He emphasized that the online conferences on establishing business contacts with businessmen from the Persian Gulf countries, of which the Chamber has held more than a dozen, are aimed at explaining the peculiarities of negotiations and business communication.
As Mr. Sergey Gorkov, the Chairman of the Russian-Emirati Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, noted in his welcoming speech, last year the trade turnover between our countries reached $3.6 billion, having increased, compared to 2019, by almost 80%. "We hope that this year we will be able to achieve unprecedented results and exceed $5 billion," the speaker said.
Mr. Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Emirate of Sharjah, drew attention to the fact that there are many tourists from the UAE in Moscow now. He called Moscow a “a work of art" and expressed hope for further development of cooperation in the sphere of tourism. He also announced that Expo 2020, postponed from last year due to the pandemic, will start in a month and invited the attendees to visit in person or online.
Ms. Lamia Al Jasmi, the Head of the National Industry Development Department at the Sharjah Export Development Center, spoke about the Center's work, which focuses on developing ties with industrialists from other countries and creating an up-to-date database, which now includes more than 2,500 producers. In addition, the Center works to simplify export procedures by helping exporting companies in finding new markets. "We develop, promote and find opportunities to sell our goods in other markets. We also provide credit guarantees and financing for our exporters," said the speaker.
The Chairman of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry Commission on Foreign Economic Cooperation with the UAE, General Director of the “Incona Company”, Mr. Alexey Busev, noted that the Emirates are a gateway not only to the markets of the Persian Gulf, but also to the markets of the Middle East and North Africa. The speaker said that the emirate of Sharjah is the third largest Emirate with a population of 1.4 million people. The main sectors of the Emirate's economy are manufacturing (16.9%), real estate (13%) and trade (12.1%). In addition, he described the subtleties in mentality, which should be considered in engaging in business and communicating with representatives of the Arab world.
At the end of the official part of the conference, the representatives of several Emirati companies described their work and invited the audience to participate in the negotiations.
After the conference, a session of B2B meetings between Russian and Emirati companies took place.
Th next day, a continuation of B2B meetings was planned, some of which to be held at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry.