Dubai Chamber members export
goods worth AED14.2b
Chamber’s monthly report reveals issuing of over 46,000 certificates of origin for Dubai-based exporters in February 2009
Dubai (UAE): Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s monthly report released recently revealed its members’ exports reached AED 14.2 billion in February 2009 as the Certificates of Origin issued by the Chamber for its exporter members touched the 46,000 mark in the same month. According to the report, 743 new members joined the Chamber’s long list of membership while 5,909 renewed their membership.
During February, Dubai Chamber received 15 international business delegations comprising of 346 participants coming from Morocco, Korea, Japan, China, Italy, Indonesia, UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Brazil and Malaysia. The Chamber received 19 regional and global delegates plus 180 businessmen on the sidelines of Gulfood 2009 exhibition to discuss the challenges faced by the food and beverages sector.
The high profile Vietnam delegation was led by HE Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and his large ministerial and business delegation for the UAE-Vietnam Business Forum. The Forum luncheon was attended by HE Reem Al Hashimi, UAE Minister of State, HE Majed Hamad R. Al Shamsi, 1st Vice Chairman, HE Eng Hamad Buamim, Director General and members of the business community.
Dubai Chamber also organized a seminar to raise awareness on the financial challenges and opportunities faced by Small & Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs) in the presence of five Banks and 85 participants. As part of its strategy to reach out to all its stakeholders, the Chamber opened a new representative office in Dubai Industrial City. The new representative office joined the Chamber’s network of branches and offices across Dubai including
the Headquarters in Deira, Dubai Airport Free Zone, Jebel Ali Free Zone and Al Awir branches as well as the representative offices in the Dubai Department of Economic Development and Al Twar Center.
Playing its role of facilitating and creating a favourable business environment, the Chamber organized a series of meetings with a number of working groups that operate under its umbrella. The meetings with the Print & Publishing, Dubai Tour and Travel Agents and Insurance Business Groups also saw the Groups conducting their executive committee elections and discussing issues affecting their sectors.
The Dubai Chamber initiative of the Dubai International Arbitration Center (DIAC) handled 10 arbitration cases last month while the Chamber also organized a roundtable discussion on the UAE Federal Arbitration Law and a workshop on the implementation of the Arab Center for the Rule of Law and Integrity on Strengthening Commercial Law in the UAE. The Legal Services Department received 71 cases out of which one was settled, three closed and 67 are under action.
The Department of Economic Research witnessed a flurry of activities as it released a report on ‘How to ease doing business in Dubai’; a research project on ‘Annual CPI and Inflation Rates for Dubai, 2008’; a monthly survey of business leaders on current situation of markets and forecast for the coming months, and issued ‘5,000 Rating Reports’ that provide critical baseline information and ratings on the most active 5,000 Dubai-based enterprises drawn from the Chamber’s database.
The Center for Responsible Business organised several seminars during the month, most notably a seminar on Environmentally-friendly Buildings and a CSR Leadership Forum for the Healthcare Industry in association with Johnson & Johnson.
