Angola seeks stronger trade ties with Dubai businesses

The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry received a high profile trade delegation from the Republic of Angola led by AAPCIL, the Association of Agro Livestock Commercial and Industrial of Huila, at the Chamber headquarters on Wednesday.

The business delegation, comprising of over 30 representatives of top Angolan companies, was received by Atiq Juma Nasib, Senior Vice- President, Commercial Services Sector, Dubai Chamber, in the presence of H.E. Dr. José Andrade de Lemos, Angolan Ambassador to the UAE and Paulo Gaspar, President, Angolan Association for Commercial Businesses.

In his welcome address, Nasib highlighted the importance of the meeting in strengthening bilateral investment relations between various UAE and Angolan companies and to explore new areas of joint cooperation between the two countries.

He said that this visit will not only open new channels of communication between the two sides but will also lead to a new phase of constructive cooperation by examining Angola’s business and investment potential while looking at how Dubai can forge stronger links with this southern African nation.

“Trade is an important area of opportunity for Dubai and Angola which is a major commodities exporter and has potential to significantly expand its agricultural output through Dubai which offers the finest transport and logistics, infrastructure and a healthy business climate for trade and investment flows between Africa and the rest of the world,” he said.

Nasib added: “In the first half of 2015 our members’ exports and re-exports to Angola valued AED 153 million while there are 21 Angolan companies operating in Dubai, there is need to increase their numbers to enhance business ties between Dubai and Angola, and across Africa in general.”

Thanking Dubai Chamber for hosting the delegation, Paulo Gaspar, President, Angolan Association for Commercial Businesses, stated that his country is looking forward to acquire Dubai’s expertise in human resources and the development of young entrepreneurs as he said that his country has resources but lack experience. He also informed that Angolan companies were open to any type of partnership in the areas of agriculture, fisheries, animal husbandry, telecommunications and technology, renewable energy and tourism.

On his part, H.E. Dr. José Andrade de Lemos, Angolan Ambassador to the UAE, invited UAE businesses to invest in Angola and to look out for new areas of mutual investments. He also invited UAE businesses to attend the first Invest Huila 2015, Business and Investment Opportunities Forum being held in the Province of Huila on October 16 and 17.