Sharjah Chamber organizes a trade mission to Kenya and Uganda

Sharjah, 28 November, 2017:  Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry will organize a trade mission to Kenya and Uganda from the 3rd to the 9th of December, in cooperation with Department of Economic Development Abu Dhabi and Saudi Exports Development Authority, aims to strengthen economic relations, raise the rate of trade exchange and establish new and promising investment partnerships with both countries.

The Chamber seeks through this trade mission, which is headed by HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber, to support the business communities in the UAE and Saudi Arabia to promote exports of their products, discover new markets that will extend their businesses in Africa and create viable investment partnerships. 

This mission includes more than fifty businessmen and investors from both UAE and Saudi Arabia, which comes within the framework of joint efforts to achieve economic integration and grow bilateral relations between the two countries.

HE Abdullah Sultan Al Owais stated that Sharjah Chamber’s goal to send this joint UAE-Saudi mission aims at promoting export products from both countries and opening new marketing opportunities in Kenya and Uganda. He also added that the mission is an ideal opportunity to promote products and goods from the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This is in line with Sharjah Chamber’s eagerness to enhance the levels of coordination and cooperation aimed at increasing the movement of foreign trade, developing exports and increasing their growth rate 

Al Owais also said that the organization of this mission by Sharjah Exports Development Center is part of the external visits program that the Chamber organizes annually, which aims to serve the local private sector through the development of economic relations between the Emirate of Sharjah and different friendly countries by providing businessmen and investors equal opportunities to hold meetings with their counterparts to help them identify closely through official channels on the areas of investment and mutual cooperation in order to enhance their presence in new markets. In addition to the role of this mission in promoting investment opportunities that benefit both UAE and Saudi Arabia, it also highlights Sharjah’s attractive business environment, as well as the facilities offered by the Chamber to foreign investors.

Abdulaziz Shattaf, Assistant Director-General for Members Services at SCCI, said that this new trade mission to Kenya and Uganda is a complement to previous visits organized by Sharjah Exports Development Center. This step has opened new doors for development and strengthening relations between Sharjah and these two countries as well as direct promotion of local products and goods, which has helped in boosting the local private sector exports to African markets.

He also pointed out that the mission includes senior officials from both countries and organizing work meetings with economic companies, economic institutions and businessmen from different economic sectors.

The Chamber hosted Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda, and a high level official Ugandan government delegation for a meeting at its headquarters in early November in which a number of economic issues of mutual concern were discussed. The meeting also included discussion about enhancing bilateral economic relations between the Emirate of Sharjah and Uganda as well as enhancing cooperation by both sides and strengthening economic relations between both countries, especially in the fields of industry, energy and agriculture along with exchange of visits and investments in various fields.

it's worth mentioning that the number of Kenyan and Ugandan companies in Sharjah affiliated to Sharjah Chamber reaches 58 economic establishments. Non-oil trade between the UAE and Kenya exceeded 2.6 billion dirhams in 2015 while non-oil trade between the UAE and Uganda reached 555 million dirhams during the same time. The natural resources available in Kenya and Uganda, particularly in the areas of agriculture and food industries provide unique opportunities for investments.