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Investment opportunities between Sharjah and Canada were discussed at a roundtable session which was recently organised by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in collaboration with the Canadian Business Councils in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Panels, consisting of top executives from leading government sectors in Sharjah, discussed keys areas of investment and growth in the emirate, and also presented key achievements at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The Canadian side was represented by Emmanuel Kamarianakis, Consul-General of Canada to Dubai and Colin Beaton, Board Member of Canadian Business Council, in addition to many Canadian businessmen.
Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, said, “Shurooq’s decision to organise this roundtable is in recognition of the growing role Canada has to play in its bilateral relations with the UAE and Sharjah. We presented specific emerging industries in Sharjah to our Canadian partners and provided them with an optimistic forecast for each industry respectively. Talks are expected to continue, as we predict these opportunities will be valuable assets that can contribute to Canada’s overall economy and growth.”
Al Sarkal added, “Sharjah is currently enjoying one of the best economic performances regionally, thanks to its expanding tourism and hospitality sector, as well as the non-oil export trade. The transportation trade is booming and an expanding population has meant rapid growth in construction, real estate and health sectors in the emirate. Over the years, Shurooq has developed a strong portfolio of agricultural products, real estate, tourism, SME’s, retail, aviation, trade, art and culture, automotive, clothing and steel and manufacturing markets in Sharjah.”
Emmanuel Kamarianakis, said, “Our statistics show there was 30 billion Dollars of UAE investment in Canada. Our bilateral trade has never been better. This investment relationship is fundamentally important to us and the UAE is seen as a welcoming and friendly government to do business with. There are two billion Dollars in Canadian exports to the UAE and this market grew 14% last year. It’s a big market for us and it is growing.”
Colin Beaton said, “It has been a privilege to speak with the Shurooq teams. I love coming to Sharjah and talking about our plans and the spirit of what Sharjah wants to do. As an architect and designer I am impressed with what Shurooq are doing with their major projects and waterfront developments as well as what these projects mean for the environment. Our mission here today is to try and find out more about the people and opportunities and how we can help by investing in Sharjah. This isn’t a small local meeting but a national, Canadian government-backed event to build more ties. It is great our members can learn more about Sharjah and the CBC adds great value to missions such as this.”