Date: 28/05/2023
The Ajman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) organized the "Ajman-Turkey" Business Forum, with the aim of discussing opportunities to expand the volume of trade and joint investment, providing an interactive platform for exchanging experiences, expanding business networks, developing strategic partnerships, and taking advantage of the promising opportunities and capabilities available in both Ajman and Turkey. The forum was attended by H.E. Salem Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Ajman Chamber, Mohamed Ali Al Janahi, Executive Director of the Trade Development and International Relations Sector, Jamila Kajoor, Director of the Promotion and International Relations Department, and Khaled Al Shamsi, Director of the Economic Studies Department at the Ajman Chamber. at the Ajman Saray Hotel. The Turkish business delegation was headed by H.E. Omer Gulsoy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kayseri Chamber of Commerce in Turkey, and the delegation included members of the Board of Directors of the Kayseri Chamber. A group of investors and owners of companies and factories operating in the field of furniture and furnishings from Turkey and Ajman attended the forum, with the participation of the Department of Economic Development, the Ajman Free Zone and the Department of Tourism Development in Ajman. The Forum started with a speech by H.E. Salem Al Suwaidi, during which he welcomed the Turkish delegation and stressed the importance of the Forum and its role in enhancing communication and exchanging experiences, knowledge and available investment opportunities, especially in the furniture and furnishings sector. He praised the growth and prosperity of the furniture and furnishings industry in Ajman and Turkey, which will open broad prospects for current and future cooperation. Al Suwaidi stated that the Ajman Chamber seeks to diversify the agenda of its forums in order to provide a proactive and sustainable platform that provides a participatory approach to develop constructive recommendations and develop a renewed global economic relations network that supports expansion opportunities, business development and promotion of Ajman as an ideal destination for investment. During his speech at the Forum, Al Suwaidi stressed that the relations between the UAE and Turkey are witnessing exceptional growth at the economic level, especially after the signing of the comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and Turkey in the first quarter of the current year in light of the increased value of non-oil trade exchange between the UAE and Turkey, which reached AED 69.58 billion by the end of the year 2022, compared to AED 49.5 billion in 2021. "Ajman has also strong economic relations with the Turkish side, so the volume of trade between the two parties increased in 2022 by 7% compared to 2021. In addition, the number of Turkish members of the Ajman Chamber increased by 18% during the last year. " For his part, H.E. Omer Gulsoy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kayseri Chamber in Turkey, thanked the Ajman Chamber for the warm reception, and gave the audience a geographical and historical overview of the city of Kayseri and the most prominent economic sectors. He referred to the keenness of the Kayseri Chamber to consolidate economic relations with the UAE chambers of commerce and increase the volume of intra-trade. He also invited the Ajman Chamber to visit the city of Kayseri and learn about investment opportunities and areas of economic cooperation. The Forum witnessed a comprehensive review by the Ajman Chamber, the Department of Economic Development, the Ajman Free Zone and the Department of Tourism Development in Ajman, on the most important investment opportunities available in Ajman and its characteristics and advantages that enhanced its attractiveness and competitiveness as a destination for investors. Including "free zones, a sea port, an infrastructure of roads and transportation, a distinguished strategic location, and economic sectors that include large and promising investment opportunities in various industrial, commercial and service fields," in addition to the ease of doing business and what is provided by the government agencies concerned with providing the service. The Forum recommended the need to take advantage of opportunities to hold future meetings to ensure opening channels of direct communication between business owners from both sides, and to participate in exhibitions and conferences organized in Ajman and Kayseri in particular, in addition to the importance of exchanging field visits to identify available investment opportunities. At the end of the Forum, a set of bilateral meetings were held between business owners and investors from both countries, and H.E. Salem Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Ajman Chamber, and H.E. Omer Gulsoy, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kayseri Chamber, exchanged shields and souvenirs