The first Dubai-Osaka Economic Partnership Forum, which concluded today (Thursday, 22 December, 2005) at the Japanese city of Osaka, has met with resounding success, with several top Japanese companies expressing interest to invest in Dubai. At the forum, Dubai Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation (PCFC), one of the major participants, successfully leveraged the event’s excellent networking platform to initiate new business relations.
The Dubai-Osaka Economic Partnership Forum was organized by PCFC, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), and Index Conferences and Exhibitions.
The three-day forum was held as part of the strategic initiative of the Dubai Government to enhance business relations with the Prefecture of Osaka. Dubai has signed the twinning agreement with Osaka, which has helped to significantly boost trade between the two cities. Another factor that strengthened the partnership between the cities was the introduction of a direct Osaka-Dubai flight, which led to an increase in bilateral trade and official visits.
The Dubai-Osaka Economic Partnership Forum gave PCFC an opportunity to closely interact with Japanese investors who attended the event to explore the business opportunities available in Dubai. PCFC highlighted the rapid growth of Dubai as a leading international city as well as the facilities and incentives Dubai offers overseas investors. Several Japanese companies are looking at Dubai as an important hub and have plans to set up their regional headquarters in the city.
Mahmoud Saleh, Executive Director of Shared Services and Secretary General of The Corporate Office, who represented PCFC at the forum, said, “The success of the Dubai-Osaka Economic Partnership Forum further underlines the significant role such forums play in enhancing bilateral relations. The event proved to be an excellent platform for PCFC to highlight the investment opportunities offered by Dubai. As Dubai continues to build on its status as the premier business hub in the region, it is essential to ensure a strong presence of companies from the entire business spectrum.”
“Japanese companies, particularly in the electronic, automotive and technology sectors are known to be globally competitive, and Japanese products have traditionally been popular in the Middle East on account of their superior quality. There are now more than 100 Japanese companies operating in Dubai today. We hope this figure will increase during the coming year as more and more Japanese enterprises become aware of Dubai’s investment-friendly environment, as well as the facilities offered by Dubai Ports and Jafza,” Saleh added.
Blue-chip Japanese companies operating in Jafza include, Sony, Aiwa, Honda, JVC, Panasonic, Epson, Nissan, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Citizen Watches, Yamaha, Sanyo, Pioneer and Konica.
