We know economic growth has been very robust at 3.8% and the UAE has risen on the human development index. What is your view of the performance of the UAE in 2011?
2011 was a much better year than 2010 for sure, although maybe not for the region on the political side because of the Arab spring, but in fact that helped the UAE because it is a safe haven in the Middle East thanks to our leadership and vision. This has attracted many businesses to the UAE and made it a hub for the whole Middle East region, allowing companies here to prosper and do very well. The UAE has gone up the rankings in all aspects, not just the human development side and this is thanks to many initiatives the UAE has undertaken in 2011.
The vision of the leaders here has really helped us to grow to where we are now. The well-built infrastructure has been a key advantage for us; we have the best airports and airlines in the region and we also have the land infrastructure with the trains and road networks. This has clearly been to the benefit of businessmen. The legal system is great here as well. We are also centrally located in the Middle East between the East and West and it is very close to many areas. We also have direct flights to the US (New York to Dubai in 13 hours) so we are also linked with the US market. Hopefully we will see more businesses coming from there. In Sharjah we are opening the first US trade office next to the
Expo Centre Sharjah and it is going to cover Sharjah, the UAE, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and the whole of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It is going to be open by April 2012. This is an initiative by the American Embassy; the American Foreign Office and UAE government clearly shows our mutual commitment and will greatly improve bilateral relations between the US, Sharjah, the UAE and the Middle East.
That is very welcome news given the UAE is America’s largest export market in the Middle East. Now if I may concentrate on Sharjah, a historic and culturally rich emirate clearly concentrated on the development and prosperity of its citizens, could you give us an introduction to the Emirate?I will summarize Sharjah in three words to make it simple. Sharjah is the educational, cultural and industrial hub of the UAE. We have the University City here which is doing very well, and students from all over the region come here. 40% of industry based in the UAE is in Sharjah because the costs are lower, there is greater availability and the procedures are transparent. Culture is also very important; before becoming part of the UAE, Sharjah has a written history of over 400 years, but it is well over that. We have over 25 museums in Sharjah itself to showcase the culture and the diversity. We have one of the largest book fairs in Sharjah and over 400,000 people attend. We have the International Education Show in Sharjah as well. So you can see the culture here is very important. Sharjah has taken a special interest in that profile. Sharjah was named as the Arab Capital of Culture by UNESCO in 1998 and there is a monument in Sharjah representing this proud achievement. Since then Sharjah has been investing a lot in culture, education and industry. Sharjah can be summarized into these three areas.
Expo Centre Sharjah was the first Exhibition Centre to be established in the whole of the UAE back in 1977. It really can be classified on international standards and its latest premises are a testament to this. Kindly tell our readers more about what is on offer here and the role you play in Sharjah development and international recognition?We started in 1977 and we have moved to several different locations, although we have been here in this building for almost 10 years now. We have 4 main halls, each comprising 4,000 m² covering an area of 16,000 m² (an indoor facility). We focus on the quality of our exhibitions, not the quantity. We look at the way these exhibitions benefit industry and the sectors. We are part of the World Trade Centers Association which is based in New York and we are also a member of the IAEE (International Association of Exhibitions and Events), which is based in Dallas. We are also part of UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry), which is one of the biggest exhibition associations worldwide based in Paris and I am the Vice Chairman for the MENA region.
They have an office in Kuwait and there are some good things happening there which will be announced shortly.
We as Expo Centre Sharjah are a totally independent private firm working under the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. We play a critical role in many areas. I am going to be in Bahrain on the 26th for a big forum talking about the exhibitions sector in the region. We know our business very well. We wanted to be the specialist in exhibitions in the region, although we allow other big companies to come in and we are open to working with them, especially when it comes to companies coming from the US. If their profile is not conflicting with ours, we will support them and be their partner and we will guide them.
I also would like to mention that we have the first car modifications show of its kind, the Middle East Motor Tuning Show. There is a show in Las Vegas which is organized by SEMA and we are partnering with this US based association to announce our third edition of the Middle East Motor Tuning Show. We are also announcing a new show called Plastvision Arabia, which is focusing on the plastic industry. We are partnering with an Association for Plastics in India and we have created a platform to do the show here in May this year. So as you can see we have many things happening. We just finished our STEELFAB exhibition where over 7,000 quality visitors came. Over 250 companies participated, 50% of which were Internationalp companies. We created a platform for the steel industry in Sharjah, and now we are creating a plastic industry in Sharjah. We are also strong in the Watch and Jewellery industry, and we hold a show twice a year. 55,000 visitors come to the show over 5 days. This show is B2C (Business to Consumer) and is open to the public to buy jewelry. Before we open the gates, there is a crowd waiting outside. It is doing very well.
Overall, I must say that the exhibition industry is the best way for a foreign company to enter the local market. It is cost-effective and we are keeping it this way in order to attract business. It is also low-risk – it is a good way of testing the market. I encourage American companies in particular, which have not seen much lately to see more. We want to encourage more trade and we would like to see more American companies coming over. The UAE is considered to be a hub because of the services we offer in the region.
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