Official measures are under way to build on the strengthening trade links between the UAE and Turkey following the successful staging of a new event which brought together business interests from the two countries.
A delegation from the UAE met the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyib Erdoğan to discuss the growing business relationship during the first UAE government-led trade exhibition in Turkey, which took place in Istanbul earlier this month.
The inaugural ‘UAE Trade Exhibition in Turkey’ was staged in response to steady increases in bilateral trade in recent years and following commitments by senior officials of both countries to strengthen mutually beneficial business ties for the future. It was organised by Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DCCI), Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (JAFZA) and Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) with Dubai-based Mosaic Organizations as technical organiser.
The UAE delegation was received by Prime Minister Erdoğan at the offices of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce and included Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, Director General of DCCI, and Khalid Ghanim Algaith, the UAE’s ambassador to Turkey along with representatives from JAFZA and DTCM.
Nearly 40 UAE companies with a delegation of 155 representatives travelled to Istanbul to take part in the ‘UAE Trade Exhibition in Turkey’. These ranged from government bodies, national banks, real estate companies and free zones to food companies, legal consultants, traders, construction firms and shipping companies.
The event took place at a key time for UAE companies looking to expand into the Turkish market, with attractive investment opportunities on the horizon as a result of Turkey’s privatisation programme. Exhibitors included Dubai Islamic Bank, Nakheel and the Dragon Mart Complex, Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone, Techno Park, FedEx and the National Bank of Dubai. The exhibition’s organisers are already looking to the future and plan to grow the event in the coming years.
Idil Akin, Managing Director of Mosaic Organizations, said: “Feedback from visitors, which included Turkish companies, government officials and key players from Turkish trade unions and chambers of commerce, was very positive and there is a lot of scope for expanding the exhibition in the future.
“Each exhibitor had between 60 and 70 one-to-one meetings with Turkish business representatives and were able to make valuable contacts. Turkish visitors expressed particular interest in the opportunities available for investing in the UAE, especially in the free zones, and in utilising the UAE’s well established re-export capabilities to distribute their goods around the world.”
The Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ) was delighted by the result of their participation in the exhibition after receiving eight contracts from Turkish companies wishing to set up a base in the free zone. The investors range from IT and management consultants to traders dealing in a variety of goods from fur and food products to construction materials and stationery.
Oussama El Omari, CEO for RAK FTZ, said: “Turkey is becoming an increasingly important market for attracting new investment to the free zone and this event proved very fruitful. We managed to partner with some Turkish businesses keen to benefit from RAK FTZ’s high quality facilities and services and extend their business interests to this region. We are able to offer them a vast array of tailor-made solutions. Such events open up business opportunities for both countries and we are very interested in taking part in the event again in the future."
The ‘UAE in Turkey Exhibition’ took place from September 13 -15 and was officially opened by Mr Al Mutaiwee and Mr Algaith along with Mr Selim Karaosmanoğlu, Turkish Ambassador to the UAE, and Mr Murat Yalçıntaş, President of Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. It was staged under the patronage of the Union Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) and the Turkish Secretary of Foreign Trade.
