West Midland firms told of investment opportunities in UAE and Qatar

OVERSEAS trade promoters in Birmingham have joined forces with an investment company to highlight new growth opportunities in the Middle East.

The Links Group, a company formation specialist in the UAE and Qatar, led a delegation of UAE government and legal representatives to the city as part of an investment roadshow to the UK.

In addition to Birmingham, the delegation also visited London, Manchester and Edinburgh. The event sought to educate British companies about the benefits of expanding to the UAE.
 
More than 200 British delegates attended the Opportunities Dubai seminars, of which 30% said they planned to expand their business to the UAE over the short to medium term. Many of the companies expressed interest in investing in Dubai’s thriving economy and taking advantage of its global strategic importance as a trading hub and top tourist destination.
 
The Links Group was accompanied on the roadshow by Ibrahim Ahli, Director Investment Support & Promotion Division and Al Hinton, Advisor to the CEO from the Dubai Foreign Direct Investment Office; Fayha Sultan, Marketing Manager for Commerce at the UK and Ireland Representative office of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing; Jerry Parks, Partner at law firm Taylor Wessing; and David Harris, CEO Europe and North America from the Middle East’s top logistics firm Aramex.
 
In addition to highlighting the business opportunities generated by Dubai’s booming tourism and hospitality sector, members of the delegation discussed the attractiveness of setting up a business in Dubai, particularly as a means of accessing the markets of the wider Middle East.
 
The expected economic windfall generated by Dubai’s hosting of Expo 2020 was also a major focus of discussion with British companies keen to understand how they could benefit from investments related to the city’s build-up for the event.
 
“The appetite for expansion to the UAE among British companies remains strong. Each of the four investment seminars was oversubscribed with delegates representing a diverse number of industries including education, banking & finance, manufacturing & distribution, energy management and start-ups,” said John Martin St. Valery, Founding Partner of The Links Group.
 
“While some of the companies have already established distribution channels in Dubai, they still expressed interest in forming a permanent presence through The Links Group’s corporate nominee structure as a means of protecting their ownership interests and extending their business footprints. We will be working closely with Dubai FDI and our partners to help convert some of this interest,” he added.
 
The roadshow was supported by the Middle East Association, regional offices of UK Trade & Investments (UKTI) and Scottish Development International (SDI) which, in line with the British Government’s industrial strategy, are helping to encourage firms to invest and export more to emerging economies.
 
“The emerging economies of the Middle East, accessed through the UAE, present attractive opportunities for British companies across a multitude of sectors. British companies remain global leaders in a number of industries and their expertise is highly sought in fast growing markets like Dubai. By working with The Links Group and local government authorities and business practitioners, we are able to help connect British companies to these opportunities,” said Sandra Thornber, International Trade Adviser, UKTI North West.