The Sharjah-Japan Business Forum explores the prospects for trade and investment cooperation

Sharjah, November 24 / WAM / Today, the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the Japan External Trade Organization, organized the “Sharjah-Japan Business Forum” to explore new horizons for trade and investment cooperation, strengthen existing partnerships between the business communities of the two friendly countries, highlight promising opportunities in the sectors of advanced technology and industry, and provide a platform for direct communication between investors and entrepreneurs from both sides.

The forum was attended by His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadhi, Director General of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, His Excellency Takafumi Suzuki, Executive Vice President of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), His Excellency Jun Imanishi, Consul General of Japan in Dubai, Abdul Aziz Al Shamsi, Assistant Director General of the Communications and Business Sector, a number of members of the high-level Japanese delegation, and an elite group of representatives of the business community and investment companies in the Emirate of Sharjah.

The forum included a series of bilateral business meetings that brought together investors from both sides, during which they reviewed the available opportunities and possibilities for developing investment cooperation, ways to establish new commercial partnerships, and coordinated joint efforts to build bridges of effective communication between local investors and their Japanese counterparts.

His Excellency Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadhi praised the depth of the historical relations between the UAE and Japan, pointing out that Sharjah’s hosting of the Business Forum with Japan contributes to strengthening cooperation between the business communities of the two countries, driven by the promising opportunities to embody the concept of a sustainable partnership based on innovation, advanced manufacturing, and the knowledge economy in a way that serves the development aspirations of both sides.

During his speech, His Excellency Al-Awadhi reviewed indicators of growth in economic relations between the UAE and Japan, stressing that relations between the two countries have witnessed a remarkable increase on several levels, as the UAE has become the first trading partner of Japan in terms of exports and imports, acquiring 52% of Japan’s total exports to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, while Japan is the ninth largest trading partner of the UAE in the world.

He noted that official statistics for the year 2024 showed that the total trade exchange between the two countries amounted to about 49.6 billion dollars, including petroleum products, while non-oil trade exchange recorded about 17.5 billion dollars, which reflects the strength of economic ties, the success of diversification policies, and the stability of trade flows in goods with high added value.

For his part, His Excellency Takafumi Suzuki praised the advanced infrastructure and flexible legislative environment that the Emirate of Sharjah provides, making it an ideal destination for Japanese investments, expressing his admiration for the industrial and commercial development witnessed by the emirate.

He stressed the desire of Japanese companies to expand the scope of their operations in the region from Sharjah and to benefit from the available investment opportunities to enhance cooperation in the fields of technology, industry and trade in a way that achieves common interests and supports the economic growth process of both parties.

During the forum, the Chamber renewed its commitment to close cooperation with its partners in the private and government sectors to facilitate the Japanese business community’s benefit from the investment opportunities available in the emirate, especially in the small and medium enterprises sector, and to work to link the innovation environment in Sharjah with its counterpart in Japanese cities.

She called on Japanese companies and businessmen to invest in Sharjah, which provides a leading regional manufacturing and export platform to the Middle East and African markets, and its readiness to provide all facilities so that Sharjah remains the preferred destination for qualitative and smart investments.

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