The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, SCCI, received a high-level delegation from its Addis Ababa counterpart, headed by HE Missinbeat Chincot Aviv, President of the Chamber, accompanied by a number of the Board of Directors of Addis Ababa Chamber and businessmen from major commercial and industrial companies in various sectors.

The visit aims at briefing the Ethiopian delegation on the best practices implemented by the SCCI, the Expo Center and Sharjah a number of major institutions in the Emirate.

The meeting also discussed ways to enhance mutual investment and communication mechanisms between business communities in Sharjah and Ethiopia, which will contribute to enhancing trade and investment cooperation relations in various economic sectors between Sharjah and Addis Ababa.

HE Waleed Abdul Rahman Bu Khatir, SCCI’s Second Vice Chairman received the Ethiopian delegation, in the presence of HE Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, SCCI’s Director-General, Abdul Aziz Shattaf, SCCI’s Assistant General Director, Members Services Sector and Director of Sharjah Exports Development Center (SEDC), Ibrahim Rashid Al Jarwan, Director of Economic Relations and Marketing at the SCCI, and Fatima Al Mokarrab, SCCI’s Director of International Relations Department.

The Ethiopian delegation initiated its visit by heading to Expo Centre Sharjah, where HE Saif Mohamed Al Midfa, CEO of the Expo Centre Sharjah received the members of the delegation, in the presence of Sultan Shattaf, Director of Business Development & Marketing, Expo Centre Sharjah, and a number of department directors and employees.

During the visit, the Ethiopian delegation was briefed on Expo Centre facilities and the organizational and logistical capabilities offered to exhibitors and visitors, as well as the most important international exhibitions that are organized on a regular basis.

Attractive Privileges

HE Waleed Abdul Rahman Bu Khatir emphasized the deep economic relations between the UAE in general and the Emirate of Sharjah in particular with Ethiopia, highlighting the SCCI’s eagerness to build commercial and investment cooperation relations with various economic activities in Addis Ababa.

This comes as part of the SCCI’s strategy to open new investment horizons for the business sector and investors from around the world, he added.

Bu Khatir reviewed the investment opportunities available in the Emirate of Sharjah and the incentives and attractive advantages for businessmen from all over the world, thanks to Sharjah’s leading position at the regional and global levels as a vital and prominent economic hub.

“The SCCI will not falter to motivate the local business community to participate in the economic events organized in Addis Ababa to enhance the investment opportunities and economic and trade relations between Sharjah and Ethiopia,” he noted.

In conclusion, Bu Khatir called on Ethiopian businessmen to take part in the specialized economic, commercial and cultural exhibitions organized and hosted by the Expo Center Sharjah throughout the year.

Developing Cooperation Frameworks

For her part, the President of Addis Ababa Chamber said that this visit is a continuation of the efforts exerted to develop bilateral cooperation frameworks, expressing admiration and appreciation for the renaissance witnessed by the Emirate of Sharjah in various economic sectors.

She stressed the importance of opening new horizons of trade and investment cooperation, encouraging joint work, and to be closely acquainted with the fields of investment, and to hold extensive meetings with officials in both countries.

“Ethiopia is keen on enhancing trade relations, mutual investment and developing the ties between the private business sector in Ethiopia and its counterpart in Sharjah and pushing it to better levels to achieve the aspirations of all parties and serve the economic interests of the two friendly countries,” she noted.

Commending the Expo Centre’s expertise in the exhibitions industry, Chincot Aviv expressed her admiration for the Centre’s outstanding reputation in the global conferences and exhibitions sector, noting that there is an ideal opportunity to benefit from the Center’s expertise in developing the exhibition and conference sector in Addis Ababa.

Attracting Investments

In turn, HE Mohammad Ahmed Amin Al Awadi underlined the SCCI’s keenness on advancing the economic cooperation between Sharjah and Addis Ababa, by providing all the support and facilities to Ethiopian businessmen who are wishing to invest in Sharjah.

This is part of the SCCI’s constant endeavors to attract foreign investments, establish trade partnerships, promote the Emirate’s competitive environment, and foster communication with the chambers of commerce and industry in various friendly countries to discuss prospects for the local business community to enhance and diversify their investments abroad.

A Leading Position

HE Saif Mohamed Al Midfa said: “This visit reflects the leading position of the Expo Center Sharjah and its leading position in organizing and hosting many international exhibitions and conferences and its contribution to enhancing the role of tourism, hospitality and business sector.”

Al Midfa stressed the importance of joint coordination with Ethiopia to create partnerships conducive to the development of the relationship between the Expo Center Sharjah and the Addis Ababa Chamber, pointing to the agenda of the exhibitions to be organized by the Center next year, which will include a variety of exhibitions that meet the aspirations of Ethiopian companies.

Smart Services

The Ethiopian delegation toured the SCCI’s facilities, where they were briefed on the electronic and smart services provided to its members, most notably, the possibility of completing transactions easily and quickly for investors.

The delegation members also visited the permanent exhibition of locally manufactured products, where were briefed on a wide range of products that are manufactured locally by more than 180 firms and are exhibited through 191 stands, covering 30 fields of industrial sectors such as food, electrical, chemicals, building materials, sanitary ware, plastics and pharmaceuticals.

In addition, the delegation visited a number of commercial and industrial institutions in Sharjah.

Attracting Capital

The tour was rounded off by a visit to the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone, where they toured the zone, inspecting its various facilities and services, expressing their admiration for the development of facilities, quality of services and diversity of investments.

They also praised the services provided by Saif Zone to its investors, stressing their determination to enhance coordination and cooperation to serve the objectives and interests of both sides, in light of Sharjah’s competitive benefits that could be provided to Ethiopian companies in all sectors.