As part of the first activities of project ERTEBAAT which is launched by Dubai Customs, Dubai Customs received the Chinese Business Council in Dubai in the presence of H.E. Ahmed Butti Ahmed, Executive Chairman of Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation and Dubai Customs Director General as well as H.E. Zan Jingabaw, China Consul General in Dubai and a number of Chinese company representatives and official personnel of both sides.
At the beginning of the meeting, H.E. Ahmed Butti stressed the significance of reinforcing economic relations between both sides and pointed out China’s economic importance in the whole world and in the region in addition to being a major trade partner to the Emirate of Dubai.
Ahmed Butti presents the memorial gifts to the Chairman of China Business Council in Dubai. H.E. Ahmed Butti draw an example of the positive growth in the economic relations between both countries represented in an average growth rate of the direct non-oil trade exchange valued at 16% throughout the five previous years not to mention the three thousand Chinese companies operating in the UAE and a huge community of Chinese residents amounting to 200 thousand individuals.
H.E. urged members of the Chinese Business Council to talk about all the obstacles they might encounter while performing their business and any complaint they have in order to overcome all the difficulties which might suppress the growth of their business.
H.E. commended such initiative and said that Dubai Customs invitation and reception of the Chinese Council is considered a right step in the right direction for the benefits it attains from the mutual interaction as well as the opportunity presented to the member of the Council to submit their suggestions or complaints related to their business procedures in Dubai.
H.E. confirmed the significance of changing expertise and experiences between both sides and called for holding further meetings in the future between both for the purpose of fostering mutual relations.
The value of direct trade exchange between the two countries exceeded AED 46 billion last year with 7% increase rate for the trade exchange executed during 2010 amounted to AED 43 billion. China comes second place among the largest countries list of Dubai Trade Imports and is also positioned the 18th in its Exports and 21st for its Re-exports.
Dubai Customs launched ERTEBAAT project in the beginning of the current year in order to vitalize communication with the foreign business councils and the commercial attaches’ which subsides the diplomatic missions in Dubai and linked with large strategic partnerships. The project also aims to identify their needs and requirements, explore new markets and horizons and reinforce economic and trade relations.