Advantage Dubai
- By Christine Wren
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- 23 Mar, 2017
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A delegation led by the Dubai Investment Development Agency and Dubai Exports. Austin was one of four U.S. cities to host the Dubai delegation, with stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin/San Marcos and Miami.
It’s been a busy week and I'm grateful to have met members from the Advantage Dubai delegation. The World Trade Council of Austin (Ben Ramirez III, Mortada Mohamed), U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, and Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide (Sharon Schweitzer, JD) welcomed a visiting delegation led by the Dubai Investment Development Agency and Dubai Exports. The Advantage Dubai luncheon on Tuesday, March 21 in Austin was one of four U.S. cities to host the Dubai delegation, with stops in Los Angeles, San Diego, Austin/San Marcos and Miami. The delegation looks to establish new ties with U.S. partners and showcase investment opportunities in the Emirate of Dubai.
His Excellency Saeed Almheiri, Consulate General of UAE highlighted the opportunities and benefits available to U.S. companies. Ibrahim Ahli, Director of Investment Promotion, Dubai FDI; Lily Renate Lord, Senior Sales Executive, Emirates Group; Hamad M Ben Mejren, Senior VP Stakeholders, Department of Tourism & Commerce made presentations about the advantages and ease of doing business and traveling to and from the UAE and Dubai.
Dubai is exploring ways to strengthen trade and investment relations with the U.S. The United Arab Emirate’s business-friendly environment, in particular Dubai’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, enables the success of niche sectors. This includes aerospace with goals to reach Mars, logistics with multiple ways to move goods and services safely around the region, tourism with an already well established draw for shopping and cuisine, healthcare including world-class trained physicians and staff and state-of the-art medical facilities that enhance the growth of medical tourism and services that are beneficial to U.S. companies looking to expand their businesses into untapped markets. Dubai is the 4th most visited city in the world with over 200 nationalities living in Dubai today. Their new tourism logo features the word 'Dubai' written in both Arabic and Roman alphabets, representing the fact that the city is a fusion of cultures and nationalities — a result of the historic and present day approach of being outward looking and open to ideas from across the globe.
The delegation also included Freezone presentations from Omar Al Fahim, Business Development & Partnership Manager, Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority; Abdulhakim Mahood, Director of Land and Asset Sales TECOM; and Mohammed Mohammed, Key Accounts Manager, Dubai Commodities Trade Zone to discuss the changing business landscape in the UAE. Among the many sectors discussed by the delegation were aerospace and aviation, biotech and life sciences, advanced manufacturing, logistics and trade, professional services, and tourism.
Ben Ramirez, World Trade Council of Austin; and Sharon Schweitzer, JD, Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide were presented a book authored by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum My Vision: Challenges in the Race for Excellence by the delegation. According to the book, the young country is making every effort to achieve excellence and upgrade its status from a regional economic centre into an international hub. It is striving to excel in services, tourism, the knowledge economy and creative human resources in order to reach its ambitious development goals.
I think it is time for a trip to Dubai. Who's in?
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