UAE city Sharjah looking for cooperation with Italian SMEs

19 ottobre 2015

2 min di lettura

(AGI) Milan, Oct. 19 - The United Arab Emirates city of Sharjahhas sent a delegation to Italy to ask Italian small andmedium-sized enterprises to come to the Emirate. "We would likeItalian SMEs to come to us. Rather than large investors, we arelooking for architects, developers, designers and creativeminds. They will have an opportunity to grow here," said Marwanbin Jassim Al Sarkal, CEO of Shurooq, the Emirate's investmentand development authority. A delegation of government officialsvisited Italy for the first time for a meeting with businessmenand managers in Milan. Italy is currently the 14th largesttrading partner of the United Arab Emirates. Trade between thetwo countries totaled 6.5 billion dollars in 2014 and over8,000 Italian companies, dealerships and brands were registeredin the seven Emirates. The CEO of Shurooq said in Sharjah thereare already 2,000 Italian companies active in various sectors,from food to energy. The idea is to form partnerships withbusinesses in the Emirate which could in turn invest in Italyand make it "a starting point to reach the European markets."The country is most interested in attracting investments intransportation, logistics, tourism and the environment. Sharjahhas 836,000 inhabitants with an average age of 25 years. It hasa surface area of 2,590 square kilometres and is "the culturaland academic hub" of the Emirates, said Al Sarkal. Where Dubaistands for "glamour and fashion," Sharjah is "tourism andculture" and is growing in those sectors, making it a challengeto "not lose its nature through modernisation," the CEO of theinvestment authority pointed out. "Today for us it is the firstevent of this magnitude in Italy and in the future we hope togo to other cities of the country," he concluded. (AGI).