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UK TRADE AND INVESTMENT: London companies join biggest-ever UK trade mission to the Middle East
(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge)
RDATE:25112008
Newly appointed Business Ambassador Lord Digby Jones will head up a
delegation of more than 200 UK companies in Dubai this week for
"Britain in the Region" - a unique event for UK companies to learn the
"ins and outs" of doing business in the booming Middle East and North
African (MENA) markets.
Starting on Thursday (27 November), this is the largest-ever mission to
the region organised by UK Trade & Investment and shows the UK's
commitment to strengthening trade ties with the MENA region.
The UK and the MENA markets have a long and established business
relationship. The region is extremely important through its investment
into the UK economy and as one of the most important destinations for
UK trade and investment.
Lord Jones said:
"As a recently appointed Business Ambassador I am proud and delighted
to lead this delegation of British business to Dubai. There is no
denying that we are all facing difficult times, but that is the very
reason why we should aim to strengthen the UK's position as the
region's global partner of choice.
"The business event is designed to offer British companies a
one-stop-shop, offering advice, commercial opportunities and
information about how they can expand and develop their business
potential in the MENA markets. It's also an opportunity for UK
businesses to showcase their expertise across a range of sectors, from
construction to finance, healthcare, energy, education and the
environment.
"The majority of companies attending 'Britain in the Region' are small
to medium-sized businesses which now, more than ever, are looking to
find news ways of doing business: new markets, new opportunities and
new business partners."
London-based Internet consultancy MintTwist, new to exporting, is
taking part in the mission to make contacts in the travel and tourism
market. Company director Elliott King said:
"We had already decided to start selling in at least one overseas
market in 2009. Through the UKTI's 'Passport to Export' programme and
the help of our excellent UKTI London International Trade Adviser we
gained the necessary support to make those first crucial steps.
Once, with UKTI assistance, we had chosen UAE as the most suitable
market for our first venture into exporting, we identified the 'Britain
in the Region' event as a great opportunity to familiarise ourselves
with the region, its people and its business culture.
"We hope to meet potential clients and delivery partners through the
networking functions that we will be attending. After the event, we are
staying on to follow up opportunities arising from the market report
that the embassy created for us. We hope the mission will prepare us
well for the meetings arranged as a result of the report."
So far this year, UK exports of goods to the MENA region are worth more
than GBP9.1billion, up 23 per cent compared with the same period last
year. UK exports of services to the region were worth over
GBP7.7billion in 2007, a 14 per cent increase on services exported in
2006. And it's not just one-way trade, with GBP6.3billion worth of
goods imported to the UK from the MENA markets, an 18 per cent increase
on last year's figures.
UK exports of goods are up by 100 per cent to Morocco, 125 per cent to
Tunisia, 68 per cent to Oman, 43 per cent to Algeria; and exports of
goods to Palestine have increased by over 300 per cent in the past nine
months. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Libya, Egypt and other markets in the region
all show increases in exports of goods of over 20 per cent.
The "Britain in the Region" event follows a string of highly successful
trade and investment events this month.
At the beginning of November, Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Business
Secretary Lord Mandelson led a high-level business delegation to Saudi
Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, aimed at forging closer business and
political links. Also this month, more than 50 UK companies in the
construction sector attended the Big 5 Exhibition in Dubai, the largest
construction exhibition in the Middle East, while UK finance companies
headed to Bahrain for the World Islamic Banking Conference to find out
about opportunities in this growing sector.
Also this month, a delegation of 24 Saudi business leaders travelled to
Manchester, Birmingham and London, looking for new joint-venture
opportunities with UK companies; and a delegation from Abu Dhabi came
to the UK, eager to work with UK companies on its Masdar City project
-the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste, car-free city.
These recent events represent a real push from all sides to increase
global business partnerships between the UK and the MENA markets.
Notes to editors:
About UKTI
UK Trade & Investment is the UK Government's international business
development organisation, supporting businesses seeking to establish in
the UK and helping UK companies grow internationally. The services
offered by UK Trade & Investment bring together a network of business
sector specialists and support teams in British embassies and Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (FCO) posts all around the world, as well as
key experts in government departments across the UK. UK Trade &
Investment works with a wide range of partner organisations in the UK,
including Regional Development Agencies and the Devolved
Administrations, Business Links, Chambers of Commerce and trade
associations. For more information, visit the web site at
www.uktradeinvest.gov.uk. For latest press releases, visit the online
newsroom at http://www.newsroom.uktradeinvest.gov.uk
About the Business Ambassadors network
The Prime Minister announced the creation of a Business Ambassadors
network in September 2006. The network consists of 17 high-profile UK
Business and University leaders. Their role is to work with the
Government to promote the UK's excellence internationally and highlight
trade and investment opportunities. They will have a particular focus
on SMEs, which sometimes face greater barriers to accessing global
markets than larger businesses
The role and extent of activities undertaken by individual Business
Ambassadors will be flexible and dependent on their own time and
availability. Key activities include:
* When travelling on business, carry out priority meetings at the
request of UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), for example lobbying to remove
barriers to market access or leading events for SMEs;
* Undertake dedicated overseas visits or lead missions in agreement
with UKTI;
* Brief UK Ministers and Ambassadors on key business priorities and
interests as they might arise;
* Meet overseas Ministers and inward missions;
* Provide insights into how UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) can best
deliver for business
* Contribute to Government-to-Government dialogues with China, India,
Brazil, Russia, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and other key markets.
Issued by COI News & PR on behalf of UK Trade & Investment
CONTACT: Susan Grieve, UKTI
Tel: +44 (0)77 3424 5936
e-mail: susan.grieve@ukti.gsi.gov.uk
Simon Holder
Tel: +44 (0)20 7261 8342
e-mail: simon.holder@coi.gsi.gov.uk
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provided within M2 PressWIRE. Data supplied by named party/parties.
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