In an effort to boost industrial development in the Gulf
GOIC and Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) discuss cooperation opportunities

 

GOIC Secretary General Mr. Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al-Ageel met with an official delegation from Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry headed by SCCI Chairman Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Midfa at the headquarters of the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting in Doha, Qatar. The two parties discussed means to promote mutual cooperation and exchange of expertise in order to further stimulate industrial development in GCC countries. GOIC and SCCI had signed a cooperation agreement last February. 

The official delegation included SCCI board members Mohammed Salem Al-Musharrekh, Abdullah Mohammed Sherif, Mohammed Ali Al-Sarkal (Ruwad Establishment board member), Ali Salem Al-Mahmud (Ruwad Establishment board member), SCCI Director General Hussein Mohammed Al-Mahmoudi, Lalu Samuel, Chairman Industry business group, Ibrahim AlJarwan, Director of Economic Affairs, Saud Alhajeri Head of Public Relations  and Omar Ali Salih, SCCI Acting Director of International Affairs.

An extended meeting was held at GOIC headquarters in Doha with the participation of Mr. Mohammed Bin Khamis Al-Mukhaini, GOIC Assistant Secretary General for Industrial Information and Studies and managers of different departments and programs at GOIC. In his address, GOIC Secretary General Mr. Abdulaziz Bin Hamad Al-Ageel thanked the delegation for the visit. He said: “This visit reinforces GOIC’s strategy and five-year plan which stressed the importance of targeting the private sector with different projects, for it is a promising sector in the area of industrial development in particular and economic development in general.”

Al-Ageel considered that “the cooperation between GOIC and the private sector in Sharjah will pave the way for future projects in line with the promising investment opportunities unveiled in the industrial roadmap that was recently accomplished by GOIC.” Al-Ageel also praised the Emirate of Sharjah that is witnessing “an impressive upswing at the economic, social and development levels.”

GOIC Secretary General added: “Investing in small and medium enterprises contributes in the economic progress and development of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region in general. In fact, SMEs provide several job opportunities and play a major role in promoting economic and social activities.”

Furthermore, Al-Ageel said that GOIC is endeavouring to support the industrial sector through different means such as the GCC Subcontracting and Partnership Exchange portal (GSPX).  The GSPX is of high value because it promotes establishing industrial subcontracting and partnership centres in different Gulf countries with an emphasis on industrial development. It also aims at strengthening industrial partnerships on the long run, which will achieve a lasting partnership between existing Gulf industries.

In his speech, SCCI Chairman Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Midfa underlined the importance of cooperation between SCCI and GOIC. He considered that the Organization plays a major role in economic development and its expertise can contribute in the execution of several development projects in the future. Al-Midfa also lauded GOIC’s programs aiming at achieving industrial development in Gulf countries.
Moreover, Mrs. Abir Jaber, Business Development Specialist at GOIC delivered a presentation about GOIC’s activities such as the Industrial Market Intelligence Portal (IMI Plus), the Manufacturing Investment Opportunities Program (MIOP) and other services suggested by GOIC to develop SMEs in the United Arab Emirates.

The participants had a comprehensive discussion about boosting mutual cooperation and exchange of expertise. In fact, the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two parties highlights the importance of coordination to maximize the benefit of SMEs from available business opportunities.  This objective can be achieved through governmental procurements or subcontracting, mainly the foundation of the GSPX Centre in order to bridge the gap between procurers and suppliers. Representatives of GOIC and SCCI also agreed to deploy additional efforts to increase competitiveness of SMEs at the local, regional and international levels through the exchange of expertise. They will also work on developing technical and administrative capacities of individuals working in the field of SMEs such as industrialists, investors, businessmen, business owners, governmental officials and decision makers by exchanging information and organizing training sessions and workshops.