Past Events

International Networking Seminar on the United Arab Emirates

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Nivelles – 23 January 2013

int-net-lunch 23-01-2013Fltr: N. de Laminne de Bex (Automatic Systems), C. Lebrun (S.E.E.), D. Woitrin (Neos Interim Management), B. Lambrecht (Lambrecht Conseil & Gestion), D. Verleye, (CCIBW), J.P. Hermant (CCIBW), M. Ryckman (De Wolf & Partners), H.E. Ambassador S.H. Al-Mazroui, Q. Hijazin (ABLCC), F. Al-Mazroui (First Secretary UAE Embassy), K. Schmidlin (TD Williamson), G. Fourez (Intact 3000).

On 23 January 2013, the Walloon Brabant Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIBW) and the ABLCC organized a widely attended International Network Seminar on the United Arab Emirates in the presence of H.E. Mr. Sulaiman Hamid Al Mazroui, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates.

After warm words of welcome were pronounced by CCIBW President Mr. Jean-Pierre Hermant and Mrs. Dominique Verleye, International Relations Manager at CCIBW, the floor was given to H.E. Mr. Al Mazroui, who gave a comprehensive and insightful overview of the wide range of business opportunities available in the Emirates. The manifold advantages of the UAE include its economic solidity and diversification, with the share of the non-oil sector amounting to 70%, the country’s strategic location, making it a regional hub with distribution networks throughout the whole of the Middle East, a state-of-the-art infrastructure and the presence of a great number of free zones which offer ample benefits to foreign companies, including 100% ownership, no restrictions on repatriation of capital or profits and a tax-free environment.

Mr. Qaisar Hijazin, Secretary General of the ABLCC, then briefly touched upon the very few aspects of the Emirati market that had not yet been covered by H.E. Mr. Mazroui, before introducing Mrs. Joyce Choukry, Marketing and Sales Coordinator of RAK Free Zone, whose presentation shed light on the many advantages offered by the Ras Al Khaimah Free Zone.

Mr. Stephan Gobert and Mr. Michael Rion, Managing Partners at ABLCC member company Go4Ward, subsequently shared their expertise on alliance and partnership strategies with the public, according particular attention to the Emirates’ key cultural and commercial aspects.

Before participants were invited to dive into networking activities over a typical Emirati lunch, Mr. Nicolas de Laminne de Bex, Sales Manager for the Middle East and India at Automatic Systems s.a. and Mr. Gaëtan Fourez, CEO at Intact 3000, gave informative presentations on their professional encounters with the UAE market.

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