Sharjah and Guatemala to boost economic, investment relations

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) recently welcomed Lars Pera, Ambassador of the Republic of Guatemala to the UAE, and Jose Bassila, Commercial Counsellor at the Embassy of Guatemala.

The visiting delegation was received by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman, SCCI, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of the SCCI, and Fatima Al Mokarrab, Director of the SCCI International Relations Department.

The meeting touched on the importance of capitalising on the strong ties between the two countries in stimulating joint investments in various sectors, including food security, and cooperation in waste management and natural tourism fields.

The two sides agreed to organise a coordination meeting with the SCCI counterpart in Guatemala and considered signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance and develop bilateral cooperation at all scales.

Highlighting the importance of the meeting in enhancing the prospects of commercial and investment cooperation, Abdullah Sultan Al Owais underlined that the Emirate of Sharjah has enormous competitive advantages which make it one of the top business destinations in the region. This includes a flexible and stimulating legislative system for business growth, a sophisticated infrastructure, a strategic location in the middle of the major world markets.

Al Owais shed light on the role of the Sharjah Chamber in supporting those companies wishing to launch their businesses and investments in the emirate through the provision of all the necessary facilities and diverse services for the success of their business.

Lars Pera, in turn, invited Sharjah’s business community to visit his country to learn closely about the potential investment opportunities, adding that Guatemala enjoys huge potentials in different sectors.

Pera extended an invitation to Emirati businessmen and investors to organise a trade mission to Guatemala, affirming his country’s keenness to provide all the support and facilities for the success of their investments. For his part, Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi said that the Sharjah Chamber is eager to enter the Central American markets as a fertile market for agricultural and food products, as well as services, logistics, and financial sectors, noting that the SCCI is keen to enhance its presence in the vital and emerging markets that provide opportunities for growth and expansion for its partners from the business community and private sector companies in the emirate.

Earlier the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) revealed that it has completed about 49,131 electronic transactions during the last four months covering a wide array of services offered by the Chamber to the business sector, such as certificates of origin and membership ratifications.

The Chamber also stated that all its services have become 100 per cent electronic, including an integrated system of smart services to help investors and customers complete their transactions remotely in accordance with the highest international practices and standards.

“This large number of online transactions clearly reflects the readiness of the SCCI’s digital infrastructure and the efficiency of its services to cater to the needs of the business community. This comes as part of the Chamber’s commitment to supporting the efforts of the Emirate of Sharjah in establishing advanced, innovative, and sustainable digital services, in line with the directives of the wise leadership and Sharjah government that always call for the ongoing and strong support for various business sectors in the emirate,” said Mohammed Ahmed Al Awadi, Director-general, SCCI.