The official trade mission to Lisbon in Portugal, which was organized by the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), reviewed the advantages of investment in Sharjah, as well as the various opportunities that are available in the emirate’s economic sectors.

The visit of the Sharjah trade delegation to Lisbon, which was headed by HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), aimed to enhance economic cooperation and mutual investment between Sharjah and Portugal, under the framework of the growing bilateral relations between the UAE and Portugal in various fields.

The delegation, which includes the participation of representatives of the Sharjah Economic Development Department and Expo Centre Sharjah, as well as a number of businesspeople and investors from Sharjah, reviewed ways to coordinate efforts with both the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the investment authorities in Portugal, in order to attract more Portuguese businessmen to invest in the emirate and to open up new and promising markets to the members of the SCCI.

During the visit, the SCCI organized the Second UAE-Portuguese Business Forum, which the chamber was honoured to host for the first time in 2013. The forum was organized in cooperation with the Arab-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAP) and AICEP Portugal Global, and in coordination with the country’s embassy in Portugal.

The Sharjah delegation will focus on reviewing Sharjah’s significance for Portuguese companies that are looking to enhance their presence in the markets of the Middle East region, as well as encourage them to establish their businesses in the emirate in light of the incentives and facilities that it offers to businesspeople.

The official visit, which began on October 8 and will continue until October 10, witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement between the SCCI and the Arab-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIAP). Furthermore, the memorandum of understanding that was previously signed between the SCCI and the Portugal Global - Trade and Investment Agency (AICEP) was updated.

The mission’s delegation included the participation of HE Mohamed Rashid Deemas, Member of the BOD at the SCCI; HE Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, CEO of Expo Centre Sharjah; HE Mohamed Ahmed Amin, Acting Director-General of the SCCI; Jamal Buzanjal, Director of the Media Department at the SCCI; Sultan Shattaf, Director of Business Development and Marketing at Expo Centre Sharjah; and Fatema Al Muqarrab, Head of International Cooperation at the SCCI; in addition to the heads of some of the biggest companies in Sharjah’s private sector. The delegation will also include the participation of representatives of the Sharjah Economic Development Department, which include Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Head of Commercial Investment; and Abdulaziz Abdouli, Industrial Development Coordinator.

The Second UAE-Portuguese Business Forum

The first day of the trade mission witnessed the launch of the Second UAE-Portuguese Business Forum, which was attended by HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI); HE Mousa Al Khaja, Ambassador of UAE in Portugal; and the representative of HE Professor Dr Augusto Santos Silva, the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs, HE Eurico Brilhante Dias, Secretary of State of Internationalization; as well as HE Ângelo Correia, President of the BOD of Arab-Portuguese Chamber; Dr. Luís Filipe de Castro Henriques, President of the BOD at AICEP; and officials of more than 150 government institutions and prominent Portuguese companies from various sectors in Portugal.

At the beginning of the Forum, the representative of the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs delivered a speech in which he stressed the strong relations and the depth of the political, cultural and economic ties between the UAE and Portugal. He also expressed his country's desire to further enhance its relationship with the UAE and its keenness to encourage the Portuguese business community to exchange investments with the UAE business community.

During his speech, HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), praised the long-standing bilateral relations between the UAE and Portugal, as well as the historical and cultural ties and growing economic relationships and interests between the business communities of both friendly countries.

HE Abdallah Sultan Al Owais stated that the chamber has ensured that it plays an active role in all Arab-Portuguese economic forums, and that it has contributed in raising the volume of trade exchange between the UAE and Portugal to more than Dh1.23 billion in 2016, and increasing it by 8% in 2017, while the number of Portuguese companies operating in the UAE have exceeded 600 companies. He added that this has resulted in Sharjah becoming host to the headquarters of various Portuguese companies that work in the fields of General Trade, Business Consulting, Aviation, Engineering Equipment and Real Estate, and that the emirate provides these companies with all the facilities and support that they need to grow and expand.

HE Mousa Al Khaja, Ambassador of the UAE in Portugal, stated that the Second UAE-Portuguese Business Forum represents an additional incentive to strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries in various fields. He also praised the SCCI for organizing this forum that aims to support and enhance economic cooperation between the two sides.

HE Ângelo Correia, President of the BOD of Arab-Portuguese Chamber, expressed his thanks and appreciation to the SCCI for their cooperation and efforts in organizing this forum. He also praised the significance of the Emirati delegation’s visit, and the positive outcomes that will result from it.