Dubai Chamber Hosts a Seminar on Investment in Malta
Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry yesterday hosted a seminar entitled “Malta: Your Ideal Business Destination in the Mediterranean” during the reception of a Maltese trade delegation led by Noel Hollier from Malta Enterprise, accompanied by HE Anthony Tabone, Consul General and Commercial Counselor of Malta in Dubai. The Maltese delegation was received by HE Engineer Hamad Mubarak Buamim, Director General of Dubai Chamber, and a number of other departments heads.
Buamim welcomed the Maltese delegation stressing the crucial role played by Dubai Chamber in supporting the business community and investors in Dubai and in coping with the economic development Dubai is witnessing on all fronts, thanks to the bold vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. Buamim pointed out that His Highness was keen to develop the emirate’s economy to turn it into a world business hub in this region, and his interest in creating the most appropriate business environment for trade, manufacturing, construction, tourism and financial services sectors.
“Dubai’s economic growth has remarkably surged in the past few years and grown faster than the emerging economies of China and India, and the developed economies of Ireland, Singapore and the United States. Dubai Strategic Plan 2015, which was recently launched by His Highness, would help Dubai sustain the economic growth with an annual growth rate of 11%, and increase the income per capita to $ 44,000,” said Buamim.
He briefed the Maltese delegation on the services offered by Dubai Chamber to its members, stating that the Chamber which was established in 1965, has a gradually-developing vision that aims at helping its members and the business community in Dubai to access new global business markets, benefit from the investment opportunities available and establish strategic partnerships with their counterparts all over the world.
The director general of Dubai Chamber also highlighted the key role played by the Chamber in developing an ideal business environment in Dubai through different services provided to its 90,000 registered members and support them with the necessary information, directly and electronically, to help them improve and expand the scope of their business activities.
He noted that Dubai’s direct non-oil trade with Malta reached AED 78 million by 2006, stressing that the bilateral trade values between the two countries is expected to increase thanks to the cooperation between Dubai Chamber on one hand and the Malta Trade Center and the Consulate General of Malta in Dubai on the other hand. He added that the seminar held at the Chamber on how to do business in Malta, helped Dubai businessmen be introduced to the available opportunities of investment in Malta and the government facilities offered to foreign investors.
Noel Hollier from Malta Enterprise, and his accompanied delegation stressed the importance of their visit to Dubai Chamber and their interest in introducing the business community in Dubai to the economic potentials and investment opportunities available in Malta.
“Holding this seminar at Dubai Chamber is quite significant for the Maltese business community because it reflects our government’s interest in attracting foreign investors and businessmen from the UAE, Dubai in particular, to establish direct or joint ventures in different economic sectors in Malta such as ICT, hospitality & tourism, energy and real estate and property. We can assure that Malta is the gateway for the UAE investors to expand their businesses in Europe,” Hollier added.
He pointed out that Malta is a destination fully equipped to offer the investors unrivalled services in the areas of safety, political stability, latest infrastructure facilities and a high quality of English speaking workforce. Malta today is being recognized by world leading organizations as an ideal choice to establish the back office support and ICT set ups. The government of Malta is involved in strategic activities aimed at raising investor awareness about Malta by providing the facilities of setting up enterprises and incentives to draw an influx of key industries and operations.
HE Anthony Tabone, Consul General of Malta in Dubai and Northern Emirates, delivered a presentation on how the UAE and Malta complete each other in terms of geographical presence as well as highlight the unparalleled array of options and benefits that it offers to businesses of making a foray to Malta.
“Malta Enterprise, represented by the Malta Trade Center in the UAE, is the foremost authority responsible for generating commercial activities in the UAE and developing bilateral relationships to attract significant investors and businessmen looking for viable opportunities,” said Tabone.
Fareed Abdulrahman Ismail, Executive Director of SmartCity, part of Dubai Holdings, accompanied the Maltese delegation in their visit to Dubai Chamber. He presented his case on which SmartCity is currently setting up an ICT cluster in Malta, similar to that of the Dubai Internet City.
