As many as 150 native and Emirati entrepreneurs from the IT, food, furniture, medical, mobility, yacht and chemical industries took part in the Polish-Emirati Business Forum.
"This year we commemorate crucial anniversaries for both Polish and Emirati nations, which is the 100th anniversary of regaining independence and the 100th birthday of Sheikh Zayed’s, the founder of the UAE. Keeping that in mind, we would like to show the wide scope of the bilateral economic cooperation opportunities as well as the Poland’s potential regarding the 2020 Dubai EXPO. Polish companies have been using a cutting-edge technology of the future which is the theme of the expo’s" – Tomasz Pisula, the Polish Investment & Trade Agency’s President stressed at the Forum.
The meeting was also attended by minister of agriculture Jan Krzysztof Ardanowski and deputy minister of entrepreneurship and technology Marcin Ociepa. On the other hand, the UAE government was represented by Minister of Infrastructure Development Abdallah Belhaif Al Nuaiami and Minister of Food Security Mariam Al Muhairi.
- The United Arab Emirates is the second largest economy in the Middle East and Poland's major trading partner in the region, with which we additionally maintain a positive trade balance.
- Last year, Poland exported goods worth USD 550m to the UAE, and bought for nearly USD 200m. Our export hits on the Arabian Peninsula are groceries, furniture and cleaning products.
- On the other hand, we imported from the Emirates mainly aluminum and telecommunications equipment (smartphones).
- As for the non-commercial dimension of expansion, several Polish companies, most often industry leaders, made acquisitions or opened offices and stores in the UAE.
Discussions concerned cooperation in the most prospective industries: sustainable development, electromobility and smart-cities, as well as food industry. The speakers invited by PAIH represented, among others, manufacturer of installations in the renewable energy sector Horus-Energia, author of mobile application CityGuideTour EnviroSolutions, a yacht manufacturer Delphia, a manufacturer of wooden modular houses Unihouse as well as Ursus Group. B2B talks were also a key element of the meeting.
***
The Polish Investment and Trade Agency is responsible for preparing Poland's participation in EXPO 2020. The PAIH President, Tomasz Pisula, is the General Commissioner of the Polish Section. The Dubai-based PAIH Foreign Trade Office has been operating since 2017, which serves both Polish exporters and potential investors from the UAE. It also participates in the EXPO arrangements.
Photo gallery:
