Coinciding with the state visit paid to Italy by the UAE President, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani opens the Italy-United Arab Emirates Business Forum in Rome. The event is organised by the Foreign Ministry and the UAE Ministries of Economy and Foreign Affairs, with the collaboration of ITA and the support of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and SACE.
Minister Tajani said: ‘The United Arab Emirates are a strategic economic partner for Italy and the leading destination market for Italian exports in the Middle East – North Africa region. Through growth diplomacy, the government supports exports and international investment by our companies, with a synergic action that involves all the players of the Country System. With this Forum we will make a further qualitative leap forward in the economic partnership with the UAE, fostering new business opportunities for our production system through the signing of many trade agreements.”
In the first eleven months of 2024 trade between Italy and the United Arab Emirates reached the value of EUR 9 billion, with a 14.5% increase compared to the same period last year. More than 600 Italian companies operate in the country, while Italian investment in the Emirates in 2023 was over EUR 11 billion.
The UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, and the Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, will also speak at the event. At the end of the official meetings, the President of the UAE, H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, will also join the Business Forum and are expected to speak to describe the new bilateral partnership framework to the private sector.
The Forum, divided into sectoral tables, will be attended by many representatives of the business world, leading financial institutions, and trade associations from both countries. More than one hundred and twenty Italian and Emirates companies, including the largest industrial and financial groups of the two countries, will be present, and more than 25 BtoB agreements will be presented.
