Dubai Exports taps new markets in Russia, Brazil and Germany

Presence in Russia, Brazil and Germany will help entities explore opportunities.

Dubai — Dubai Exports, the export promotion agency of the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai, recently opened its overseas offices in Brazil, Russia and Germany as part of its strategic plan to link local companies to key export markets and in line with the directives of the Economic Development Committee of the Dubai Executive Council to enhance the emirate’s bilateral trade.

The new offices have doubled the strength of the Dubai Exports overseas office network to six, from the earlier three in Saudi Arabia, India and Egypt.

Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, second chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai and chairman of the Economic Development Committee, stressed the importance of promotion efforts in expanding Dubai’s foreign trade, adding that sustaining exports is integral to the emirate’s economy.

“Dubai is a major driver of foreign trade in the region with a diversified economy that has non-oil trade as a major contributor to the national economy. The new offices of Dubai Exports will help open up new markets for Dubai and provide vital support to trade between Dubai and promising markets overseas. The expansion of the Dubai Exports network also helps implement the strategic programmes of the Economic Development Committee aimed to cement Dubai’s leadership among the prominent business hubs in the world,” Al Maktoum said.

Sami Al Qamzi, director-general of DED, said: “The Department of Economic Development and its agencies seek to support the economy of Dubai through an integrated approach aimed to enhance Dubai’s standing among the frontline economies of the world. We are proud to see that Dubai Exports has offices spread over different regions and this doubling of overseas offices from three to six underlines their important role in connecting Dubai to target markets, in addition to providing services for the local business community.”

Al Qamzi added that the overseas offices reflect the strategic directives of the leadership in Dubai to establish efficient bilateral trade mechanisms between Dubai and promising markets as well as strengthen partnerships to take advantage of the opportunities in foreign markets.

“The new offices will support local companies in penetrating potential Latin American, Russian and European markets and promote useful exchanges between UAE companies and their counterparts in those markets,” said Al Qamzi.

Abdullah Al Shaibani, secretary-general of the Executive Council of Dubai, said that Dubai is competing against itself and pushing boundaries.

“The Government of Dubai and its various arms work together to overcome all the potential challenges for Dubai. The sectoral committees of the Executive Council review all related issues and devise ways to deal with them according to best international practices, in addition to formulating strategies and policies for sector growth and translating them into action. These committees comprise experts and officials from the relevant authorities who regularly exchange views and ideas in order to achieve the goals of Dubai’s 2021 plan,” Al Shaibani said.

Referring to the role of the department of finance in Dubai’s strategic development plans and the Dubai 2021 plan, Abdulrahman Al Saleh, director-general of the department, said 37 per cent of government spending in Dubai is in the economic sector.

“A major focus for the government is on establishing a robust infrastructure for attracting investment and supporting foreign trade, including exports.”

Engineer Saed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Exports, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of three new offices in Russia, Germany and Brazil, which is a quantum leap for Dubai exports and evidence that our efforts and services provided to companies are not limited to one point but to all potential export markets. We are confident that the new offices will support UAE companies to offer their products and services in the respective markets.”

Al Awadi said the overseas offices offer varied services such as providing data and analytical reports on international markets, potential buyers and opportunities for UAE companies, in addition to organising bilateral trade missions and meetings.

“The new offices will soon launch a study of export opportunities in and around their area and will work on opening new channels for market entry. A series of international trade missions, exhibitions and bilateral meetings will also be organised to link UAE companies with suppliers and businessmen from these countries.”