UAE delegation boosts business relations at Kazan Forum 2023

Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, has led a UAE delegation of government officials to Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan in the Russian Federation.

During the visit,  Al Zeyoudi held a series of meetings with ministers and representatives of the business community, and delivered a speech at the “Russia-Islamic World: Kazan Forum 2023”, an event aimed at strengthening cooperation between Russia and members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

During the meetings, Al-Zeyoudi discussed the prospects for collaboration in areas of common interest, especially trade, investment and climate mitigation issues.

At the Forum, Al Zeyoudi delivered opening remarks at a networking roundtable designed to stimulate investment between the Arab countries and Russia. He highlighted how the UAE is now one of the leading global destinations for foreign direct investment and that initiatives such as NextGenFDI is helping to establish a diversified knowledge economy. He also spoke during a session on the north-south trade corridor and its role in facilitating intra-regional trade.

Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi also used the trip to hold bilateral talks with several government ministers and senior officials, focusing on the current economic landscape, areas of mutual interest and opportunities for investment – particularly in key sectors such as fintech and renewable energy.

Al Zeyoudi emphasized the UAE’s desire to strengthen relations with emerging economies in Central Asia, which offer a range of exciting investment opportunities. “We are always looking to explore new markets, and the KazanForum provided an important platform to meet with representatives of Central Asian nations and find areas of mutual benefit – particularly in key sectors such as energy transition and food security. This is a region rich in potential with long-standing connections to the UAE and a natural market for our investors and exporters.”

During his visit, Al Zeyoudi also met His Excellency Syed Naveed Qamar, Minister of Commerce of Pakistan, to discuss explore ways to enhance trade and investment between the two countries, notably in areas of mutual interest including logistics and transport.

Al Zeyoudi was joined by a delegation of senior officials including Hamad Rashed Alhebsi, Deputy Head of Mission in UAE Embassy in Moscow; Dr Farah Ali Al Zarooni, Assistant Undersecretary for the Standards and Regulations Sector at the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology; Dawood Al Shezawi, CEO of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM); Rashed Ahmed Al Teneiji, Director of Trade Promotion Department at the Ministry of Economy; HE Mohamed Ahmed Mohamed Al Yamahi, Board Member of the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Tareq Mohamed Ebraheim al Hanaee, Board Member of the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Khalid Al Marzooqi, Vice President of International Business Development at the KEZAD Group; Raj Jit Singh Wallia, Deputy CFO at DP World Head Office; Sergey Chemarda, Corporate Finance & Business Development board member at DP World Russia FZCO; Valeriya Grabovskaya, Commercial Expert at KEZAD Group; and Abdelaziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director for Communication and Business Sector at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

A day earlier, Dr Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi led a UAE delegation of leading trade and finance officials to Bosnia-Herzegovina to identify strategic opportunities for UAE businesses in the region and establish stronger greater trade and investment links with this increasingly important economic region.

Al Zeyoudi held a series of bilateral meetings with ministers and senior government officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina to identify areas of potential collaboration between the two nations.

This included a meeting with Borjana Kristo, Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers, in which they discussed the latest developments in efforts to combat climate change globally, and with Stasa Kosarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations explore potential bilateral trade opportunities.

Al Zeyoudi also witnessed a presentation from Elmedin Konakovic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in which he showcased leading projects in the country’s high-growth industries such as agriculture, healthcare, metals, oils and construction.

Initial meetings were followed by discussions with representatives from the Foreign Investment Promotion Agency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FIPA), to advance the UAE’s direct investment in the nation, and with Vjekoslav Vukoslav and Ahmet Egrlic, vice-presidents of the Foreign Trade Chamber of Bosnia and Herzegovina, where HE Al Zeyoudi highlighted the UAE’s role as a leading logistics hub that can support the country’s agriculture, manufacturing and automotive parts exports.