The Business Park at Dubai South said it has entered into a strategic partnership with the Union of European Expert Chambers to set up a permanent exhibition and business centre for the members of the UCEE at the Business Park.

The partnership aims to encourage European SMEs to set up their business in Dubai and the region.

The announcement came during a press conference held recently in Brussels, in the presence of Shoaib Al Rahimi, VP of Business Park at Dubai South.

The UCEE offers various opportunities to its European members that consist primarily of SMEs and has a membership of around 600 enterprises that operate in various economic sectors.

The Expertise House Consultancy will co-operate with the UCEE to support its members in establishing their enterprises at the Business Park in Dubai South and will offer to help the union take advantage of the opportunities that Dubai offers SMEs, said a statement from Dubai South.

The agreement between Business Park and the UCEE includes establishing a business centre for the members of the union in the UAE, which will give European SMEs the chance to benefit from the logistics, trade and business facilitation and opportunities offered at Dubai South.

The agreement also includes launching a permanent exhibition that showcases the products of the UCEE members and helping these companies to take advantage of the opportunities offered by Expo 2020, in addition to aiding them in expanding into the markets of the GCC and the Middle East, it stated.

The agreement states that an initial programme of four years will commence until 2022, which reflects the importance and the attractiveness of SMEs to Dubai’s economy, where they contribute to 40 per cent of the emirate’s GDP.

Shoaib Al Rahimi, VP at Business Park, affirmed that this agreement reflects Dubai’s leading status as a global destination for SMEs and to attract the interest of more than 600 leading European SMEs to the emirate is a clear indication of Dubai’s prominent place on the global economic stage.

Al Rahimi asserted that Dubai South Business Park has once again proved to be a leading destination for conducting business that offers flexible solutions, modern facilities, and superior infrastructure that optimises trade flow for businesses.

"Organising the permanent exhibition for European companies and welcoming them to Business Park will help introduce these enterprises to more investment opportunities in Dubai and the region," he noted.

Business Park, he stated, aims to not only attract companies to participate in Expo 2020 but also  encourage these companies to establish permanent branches and offices in Dubai and to help them expand into the markets of the region," he added.

Prof Paolo Saba, the president of the UCEE, remarked that the union believes that the region offers exceptional investment and expansion opportunities to its members and that Dubai represents a gateway for the union’s SMEs to enter into the region’s markets.

"EU is looking to take advantage of the opportunities that are offered by Expo 2020 and maintained that the new permanent exhibition at Business Park offers companies in Dubai the opportunity to discover the products of the UCEE members, which, in turn, helps them to expand into the markets of the emirate and the region," observed Saba.

Dr Emad Hefnawy, CEO of the Expertise House Consultancy, stressed that the company will harness its vast expertise in the region to aid the members of the UCEE in entering into the Dubai market and establishing their business in Dubai South, where they can take advantage of the vast investment opportunities available in various different sectors.

"Dubai is the clear choice for European companies to set up their business due to the available competitive facilities and opportunities, which help foster growth and development," he added.-TradeArabia News Service