Sharjah organises trade mission to Lisbon to attract investment

SHARJAH / WAM

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), is organising a trade mission to Lisbon in Portugal from October 8-10, with the aim of enhancing 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 mission comes at a time when the volume of trade exchange between the UAE and Portugal reached $342 million by the end of 2017, according to the Ministry of Economy. The volume of UAE imports from Portugal reached $317 million, while the volume of UAE exports and re-exports to Portugal reached $24 million. In 2010, trade between the two countries totalled $138.7 million.
The mission, which will be headed by Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will review the opportunities and advantages of investing in Sharjah. The delegation will also review the incentives and facilities offered by the emirate, the chamber and the other entities that are participating in the delegation, to foreign companies that are looking to establish their businesses in Sharjah and enhance their presence in the region’s markets.
The visit will witness the organising of the Second UAE-Portuguese Business Forum, which the SCCI was honoured to host for the first time in the past. During that forum, Abdallah Al Owais delivered the welcome speech in the presence of Eng. Angelo Correia, President of the Board of Directors (BoD), of the Arab-Portuguese Chamber, and Dr. Luis Filipe de Castro Henriques, President of the BoD at Portugal Global – Trade and Investment Agency (AICEP).
The official visit will witness 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) will be updated. The visit will also include a variety of business meetings with official Portuguese institutions, as well as field visits to some of the leading commercial and industrial enterprises in Portugal.
The trade mission will be organised by the SCCI, in cooperation with the CCIAP, and in coordination with the country’s embassy in Portugal.
During the meetings with Portuguese officials, the delegation will focus on encouraging the Portuguese business community to invest in sectors that align with Sharjah’s economic vision and support its path towards achieving sustainable development, especially in the fields of healthcare, education, and ecotourism, among others.
Fatema Al Muqarrab, Head of International Cooperation at the SCCI, will make a presentation on the opportunities and benefits of investing in Sharjah, as well as the services and the facilities provided by the chamber to the business community. Sultan Shattaf will make a presentation to review the importance of the centre and its strategic location, as well as its role both regionally and globally.
During the visit, Al Muqarrab will also discuss the services that the centre offers to exhibitors, in addition to the most important exhibitions it organises and hosts throughout the year.