The United Arab Emirates ambassador to Spain, Majid Al-Suwaidi, participated today in a meeting at the CEOE headquarters, where he spoke about the upcoming Dubai 2020 Expo and the business and investment opportunities presented for Spanish companies with interests in the country. The president of International CEOE, Marta Blanco also took part in the day; the assistant deputy director of the General Subdirectorate of Mediterranean Countries, Africa and the Middle East of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Mercedes Monedero; and the general director of International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Cristina Serrano.
The CEO of International CEOE, Marta Blanco, highlighted the complementarity of our economies and the excellent evolution of bilateral relations. Proof of this, he said, was the business meeting held at CEOE in mid-July of this year with the Minister of Infrastructure Development of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Abdullah Belhaif Alnuami, who presented the business and investment opportunities of the sector of existing infrastructure in this country, especially on the occasion of the celebration of Exp Dubai 2020.
In this regard, he also stressed the importance of the three concepts that characterize the Expo: “Sustainability, Mobility and Opportunity”, which define the current moment and allow our companies to contribute to the economic development of the country.
The United Arab Emirates ambassador, Majid Al-Suwaidi, reported that the UAE is a very fast-growing country, and that its airlines connect with virtually every country in the world. He pointed out that it is the second most important market for Spain in the region and that it represents an excellent platform for Spanish companies, not only to access the United Arab Emirates, but also to the markets of the Middle East, North Africa and the South of Asia.
Al-Suwaidi also stressed that the economy has diversified quite a bit in recent years, and it no longer depends so much on oil, in fact 70% is concentrated in other sectors. For this reason, He opted for public-private collaboration and encouraged Spanish businessmen to invest in the country.
With regard to the Expo, the Ambassador informed that Dubai will become a pole of attraction, connecting countries around the world and inspiring participants to mobilize around shared challenges, during a Global Exhibition of global reach unprecedented, under the subtopics of: Mobility, Sustainability and Opportunity. In this regard, he stressed that 25 million visits are expected, 70% from abroad. He also insisted that it is the first organized by the Expo in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia (MENASA).
Bilateral relations
The Deputy Deputy Director of the Subdirectorate General for Mediterranean Countries, Africa and the Middle East of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Mercedes Monedero and the Director General of International Economic Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, Cristina Serrano, agreed highlight the importance of the Spanish pavilion at the next Dubai Expo and the great contribution made by ICEX and Cultural Action to the organization of said pavilion. They noted that the event is especially business oriented, compared to the previous ones.