UAE Ministry of Economy and US Embassy organising visit of Emirati entrepreneurs to the US

The UAE Ministry of Economy is organising the visit of a delegation of Emirati entrepreneurs to the US begins from tomorrow (October 24) until November 1st, 2016, in collaboration with the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi. The trip falls under the framework of the International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) supervised by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State.

The visit being organised with the theme of ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ aims to introduce Emirati entrepreneurs to American society, and give them the opportunity to learn about the latest policies and approaches in the economic and social fields related to entrepreneurship in the US, the contributions of innovation, and the solutions and practices for supporting and developing the business environment.

The delegates will tour three US cities (New York, Detroit, San Diego) and meet elite American entrepreneurs, businessmen and experts. They will visit several organisations, companies and think tanks involved in many focal areas in order gain and share knowledge and expertise and to broaden their horizons in terms of skills and techniques used in these sectors.

HE Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade and Industry, said that the visit is of great importance due to the impact of enhancing cultural and educational exchange between the UAE and US communities. He added that it will help establish strong professional ties between Emirati entrepreneurs and American institutions and civil society organisations as well as deepen shared perspectives with experts in sectors related to innovation, technology and entrepreneurship in the US. This, he explained, will stimulate even greater fruitful economic, trade and investment relations between the two sides.

HE Al Saleh added that the UAE continuously works towards developing national entrepreneurship and supporting SMEs for which it has developed legislations and incentives that support the entrepreneur’s projects and provide them with the best services. This, he noted, is reflected positively in the country’s top ranking regionally and 19th position globally under the Global Entrepreneurship Index 2016, aside from again topping the regional and placing 22nd in the 2015 Doing Business Report. He pointed out the Ministry of Economy’s vital work in enriching this sector with best global experiences through various visits and activities such as a recent visit to Malaysia last May, and two more planned visits to India and Finland next month.

The Undersecretary clarified that during their US visit, the entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to increase their understanding of the links between entrepreneurial activity and free markets and economic growth. He said that participants will be briefed on the latest trends related to SMEs and entrepreneurship in the US.

HE continued by saying that the entrepreneurs’ tour across the three US states will expand their knowledge and expertise in entrepreneurial thinking, basic business management skills and methods of attracting investors, as well as the best ways enhance the capabilities of SMEs.

The Ministry of Economy has recently held a preparatory meeting at its headquarters in Abu Dhabi to complete pre-departure discussions and arrangements. Participants were given complete details of the upcoming tour and advised on how to maximise the benefits of visiting the states of New York, Michigan, and California.

The meeting was chaired by Mohammed Nasser Hamdan Al Zaabi, Director of Trade Promotion and Investment at the UAE Ministry of Economy; in the presence of Ms. Mona Madgavkar, Attaché for Education and Cultural Affairs at the US Embassy in Abu Dhabi; Ms, Meedeia Alkateb, Program Coordinator. The attending entrepreneurs included Ms. Sara Abdulwahab Almadani, Board Member in the SME projects and enterprise Council, and Board Member in Sharjah Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mustafa Almusawa Alhashemi, Founder & CEO, Smart Navigation Systems; Farah AlQaissieh, Assistant Manager, Mubadala Development Company, Chief Executive Stutterer, Stutter UAE; Mohammad Jame, CEO, Sustainable Lighting Solutions; and Khadija Ahmad Behzad, Founder & CEO, Safrat Trips.

Mohammed Nasser Hamdan Al Zaabi said that the meeting aims to provide the Emirati entrepreneurs with details on how to maximise their visit’s advantages and coordinate with officials of the US Embassy who are helping facilitate the programme and its logistics.

During the meeting, Al Zaabi explained the major topics of focus during each visit, including fashion, clean energy, crowdfunding, and workforce development. He added that the visit will provide valuable insights on how to promote start-ups, ensure the sustainability of small enterprises, support women entrepreneurs, and benefit from the role of universities in the development of entrepreneurship.

For her part, Mona Madgavkar said that the visit of the Emirati entrepreneurs to the US under the International Visitor Leadership Program provides significant opportunities for present and future cooperation between the two countries. She explained that the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State believes in the importance of deepening mutual understanding between private citizens and organisations in the United States and abroad through educational, professional and cultural exchange. While professional exchanges like this greatly benefit individual participants, who gain valuable knowledge and experiences, there are equally great benefits for both nations as ideas are exchanged and relationships strengthened.

Ms. Madgavkar said, “Today we meet with the distinguished entrepreneurs here at the Ministry of Economy in preparation for this outstanding programme that is sure to be both very memorable and highly beneficial. The delegates will interact with major American industry leaders and business hubs, companies, institutions and centres of innovation. We are confident that they will come back with new and important information, creative ideas and innovative solutions that will contribute to the development of their business concepts, and strengthen and promote their businesses.”

For their part, the entrepreneurs expressed their enthusiasm in interacting with American innovators and leaders and reviewing their experiences, confirming that the programme will enrich their experiences and promote skills and other methods for achieving the sustainable development of their businesses. They thanked the Ministry of Economy for its efforts to facilitate their participation in the programme as well as the American Embassy for efficiently organising their journey to the USA.

Sara Al Madani said, “The visit will provide important experiences that can be applied to the UAE and other innovative ideas for promoting the Sharjah Seen Program in SCCI which aims to develop youth-oriented projects. The visit will support for another side to develop her work in personal basis as leader business woman in fashion and restaurants.

Farah AlQaissieh said, “The visit is a golden opportunity as it will enable us to to be acquainted with the best American experiences on promoting positivity and confidence in people who stutter, as well as other distinctive initiatives related to social entrepreneurship, and best practices to transform the initiatives of this field into reality.”

Mostafa Al Hashimi said, “The visit will reveal the best opportunities in terms of entrepreneurship which can help develop the national work environment and build the knowledge economy adopted by UAE.”

Eng Mohamed Jama said, “We trust that the visit will review scientific and practical aspects in terms of clean energy, LED lighting and solar panels, in addition to emphasising the importance of communication and building strong relations with American businesses community that have made leading strides in this technology sector. E-trade is another important sector that I shall seek to know more about its modern methods in the USA.”

Khadija Ahmed Behzad said that the visit is an important opportunity for her to gain valuable experiences and exchange knowledge with American entrepreneurs, as well as reviewing innovative solutions in the field of trips for tourism and adventures.

Source: cpifinancial.net

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