Special Features
The Italian Industry & Commerce Office in the UAE
The Italian Industry & Commerce Office in the UAE (IICUAE) is a non-profit organization that offers consistent assistance to Italian enterprises in their survey and approach to the bustling UAE market.With a then different denomination, IICUAE was established in 1999 in Sharjah as a result of a venture developed by Turin’s C.N.A (National Confederation of Artisans and Small and Medium Enterprises) and supported by the Piedmont Region and the Italian Trade Commission. In 2002 IICUAE extended its know-how to the entire Italian national territory and in 2004 Confartigianato joined C.N.A. in the project, thereby securing a position in IICUAE’s Board of Directors.
During these years, over a 1700 selected local operators were put in contact with Italian companies, proving networking to be the core of IICUAE’s business.
One of IICUAE’s most prestigious initiatives was the conception of the “Italian Lifestyle in the Emirates”, the only Italian trade fair in the entire Gulf. The first edition was held in 2004 in coordination with the Sharjah Expo Centre and Artex Firenze. This event featured 4 editions, of which the last was held in the year 2007.
In 2006, IICUAE initiated the process of being acknowledged by the Italian Government as an authorized overseas Italian Chamber of Commerce, denomination that under the laws of the UAE can be used only in Italy and not in the UAE.
THE ITALIAN FESTIVAL WEEK
Following the grand response from the previous years, IICUAE recently announced the third edition of the Italian Festival Week (IFW) in 2009 which will enjoy the patronage of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Embassy to the United Arab Emirates.
IFW 2009 endorses a rich calendar of cultural and business activities which will be held in the three main Emirates of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah aimed to reinforce and emphasize the cultural and commercial bond between Italy and the UAE. The festival will feature a remarkable line-up of events such as a regional gastronomy week, a cross cultural film night, classical musical concerts, art exhibitions and so on.
As in the previous editions, IICUAE will have the honor of bestowing an award from the President of the Italian Republic to the best performing Italian company in the UAE.
The Italian Festival Week is the first initiative of this kind in the whole Gulf region and has become an important yearly appointment in the UAE’s calendar of events.
THE MISSION AND THE ACTIVITIES
During the course of these years, IICUAE has assisted nearly seven thousand enterprises on several enquiries related to the UAE and Italian markets.
IICUAE plays an active role in organizing product exhibitions and international trade fairs, business and institutional delegations, B2B meetings, workshops and seminars to promote knowledge sharing between the two countries which stimulate both the Italian and UAE markets.
The local partners of IICUAE, who would like to develop relations with Italy, have at their disposal the Italian entrepreneurship system thanks to the strong relationships that IICUAE has cultivated over the years with C.N.A., Confartigianato, Regional Italian Institutions, Chambers of Commerce, etc. The outcome of several such initiatives has led to a reinforced image of the Italian companies in UAE amongst the local institutions and enterprises.
It is primarily due to these activities that IICUAE has developed strong ties within UAE and in Italy, mainly with sectorial associations, public and governmental bodies and well known figures within the industrial and local media sectors.
THE STAFF
IICUAE’s staff currently comprehends a team of six qualified professionals who have a multicultural linguistic flair in English, Italian, Arabic, French, Tagalog (Philippines), Hindi (India) and Hungarian. They are in a position to provide ongoing services to firms and companies in order to undertake various business operations and to guarantee a constant support to the companies of both countries.
The wide variety of services provided by IICUAE range from the research of potential buyers or partners to the organization and logistics for collective and individual trade missions, market researches to legal consultancy, on-site logistics for the major exhibitions to the organization of multiple types of events.
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