• Roadshow saw significant increase in European companies wanting to set up in DMCC
• DMCC’s Executive Chairman and CEO visits Spain, Monaco, Belgium and The Netherlands to strengthen bilateral ties with key markets
• DMCC hosts Made for Trade Live event in Barcelona and attends 4YFN and Mobile World Congress
• DMCC signs two MoUs with key strategic partners across Europe to boost trade in, through and with Dubai

DMCC – the world’s flagship Free Zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise – has completed a European roadshow during which it signed two Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) to strengthen collaboration with key counterparts, attract foreign direct investment to Dubai and showcase the ease of doing business in the United Arab Emirates. The roadshow included events in Spain, Monaco, Belgium and The Netherlands with various meetings held with strategic partners at each stage.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, DMCC, said: “This roadshow forms an integral part of DMCC’s ongoing strategy to engage with key markets and stakeholders in line with our mandate of attracting innovators, investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders to Dubai. We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to be on the ground to showcase the potential Dubai and DMCC offer. While our business district continues to grow, with now over 19,000 members, we are seeing increasing and sustained interest from European markets. Through the two partnerships we signed, we are confident that our trade ties will strengthen further and we will be unlocking a host of mutually beneficial opportunities.”

The DMCC team met with His Excellency Jean Castellini, Minister of Finance and Economy - Ministry of State Monaco during the visit to the city to discuss boosting Dubai-Monaco trade opportunities. While in Spain, DMCC signed an agreement with Fomento del Trabajo Nacional, the main employer organisation in Cataluña, to further develop the existing relationship between the two parties and showcase the commercial appeal of Dubai to firms in the region.

David Tornos, General Secretary, Fomento del Trabajo Nacional, said: “We have collaborated with DMCC on several occasions and decided to formalise our relationship through this agreement based on our shared goals. DMCC’s ecosystem offers great value add to the host of Spanish businesses looking to reach new global markets. We see tremendous potential through this collaboration and we very much look forward to what the future holds.”

The second MoU was signed with Rotterdam Partners, an Investment and Promotion Agency in The Netherlands, to cooperate on matters of mutual interest and benefit. The MoU was signed in the presence of the Mayor of Rotterdam, HE Ahmed Aboutaleb, who welcomed the agreement.

Wilbert Lek, Managing Director, Rotterdam Partners, said: “Dubai and Rotterdam have a lot in common, foremost a passion for innovation. Through our collaboration with DMCC, we will offer Dutch companies the opportunity to explore a thriving business and commercial hub in Dubai and we are looking forward to welcoming companies from the Emirates to Rotterdam. We are excited to be working with DMCC and opening doors for businesses in both cities, to learn and grow.”

Before concluding the roadshow, the DMCC team travelled to Belgian city of Antwerp to meet with various diamantaires and business leaders to discuss possible routes of collaboration to drive growth in the international diamond industry, and bilateral trade as a whole.

In Barcelona, DMCC hosted its flagship Made for Trade Live event, in partnership with the UAE General Consulate in Barcelona, Fomento del Trabajo Nacional and Banco Sabadell. Those in attendance had the opportunity to engage with various stakeholders and become better acquainted with the unique opportunities available to connect to global markets through DMCC. Participants also obtained information on DMCC’s Crypto Centre, launched in May and set to be a hub for the development and application of crypto and blockchain technologies. DMCC also had a presence at the 4YFN event, the world’s largest exhibition for start-ups in the mobile industry and attended the Mobile World Congress.