"Emirati-Kuwaiti Economic Forum" It discusses trade and investment relations between the two brotherly countries

DUBAI, 31st JANUARY / WAM / The activities of the “Emirati-Kuwait Economic Forum” will begin tomorrow, Monday, as part of the “UAE and Kuwait… Brothers Forever” week, which extends until February 4th in all the emirates of the country, to strengthen economic, trade and investment ties, and highlight the depth of the historical relations that bind the two brotherly countries and peoples.

The forum constitutes a translation of the directives of the wise leadership to celebrate Emirati-Kuwaiti fraternal relations and partnership, and an ideal platform for exploring investment opportunities and developing trade in vital sectors, in addition to exchanging visions regarding developments in the economic environment, and opening new horizons for cooperation between the two countries.

The forum aims to explore investment opportunities, enhance trade development between the two countries, support entrepreneurs, highlight success stories in both countries, in addition to discussing the future of bilateral relations, and highlighting the depth of the historical relations that bind the two countries and the two brotherly peoples.

His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, said: “The UAE and the sisterly State of Kuwait share deep-rooted fraternal relations that represent a solid base for developing deeper and more sustainable trade and investment cooperation, which supports the building of qualitative partnerships between the private sector and business communities in the two countries that open broader horizons for investors and entrepreneurs, and enhance the integration of supply chains in vital sectors including trade, industry, the new economy, renewable energy, and logistics services.”

His Excellency stressed that the UAE-Kuwait Economic Forum constitutes a pivotal station for strengthening the strategic partnership between the UAE and the State of Kuwait in trade and investment, and contributing to achieving the vision of the leadership of the two brotherly countries in building an integrated model based on diversifying the economy, expanding the horizons of trade and investment, and empowering the private sector on both sides.

His Excellency pointed out that the forum represents a strategic platform for exchanging visions and ideas about the future of the two countries’ economies, exploring opportunities for joint growth, and discussing mechanisms for developing investment and trade partnerships in priority sectors, which contributes to enhancing the flexibility of the Emirati and Kuwaiti economies, and supports the building of an integrated economic system that anticipates the future and is able to keep pace with global transformations and consolidate the competitiveness of the two countries at the regional and global levels.

The UAE-Kuwait Economic Forum will be opened by His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al-Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, and His Excellency Khalifa Abdullah Al-Ajeel, Kuwaiti Minister of Trade and Industry, who will deliver two keynote speeches in which they will review the economic and trade relations between the two countries and how they have developed over the decades. They will talk about the exceptional fraternal relationship between the United Arab Emirates and the State of Kuwait, and ways to develop the economic partnership in a way that supports the process of sustainable development and strengthens the bonds of cooperation between the two brotherly countries.

In the dialogue session “Siblings’ Talk: UAE and Kuwait,” His Excellency Dr. Matar Al Neyadi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the State of Kuwait, and His Excellency Jamal Mohammed Al-Ghunaim, Ambassador of the State of Kuwait to the United Arab Emirates, will speak, and they will be interviewed by journalist Jamal Al-Mulla.

In the session: “The Gulf Economy between Experience and Innovation,” Sheikh Saad Al-Sabah, Director of Corporate Finance and Syndicated Finance at Kuwait Finance House, speaks and is interviewed by journalist Hamed Raab.

The Emirati-Kuwait Economic Forum will witness dialogue sessions, during which a number of officials, businessmen and media figures from the two countries will speak, starting with a session entitled: “From Kuwait to the region and the world: The rise of retail companies and their regional empires,” which sheds light on the story of the rise and success of a number of retail, tourism and real estate companies in Kuwait and the Emirates, and how they transformed from successful local models into regional empires with a growing influence in the markets of the region and the world.

The session discusses the strategic factors that contributed to this expansion, the role of innovation, brand building, and geographical expansion, in addition to the challenges and opportunities facing the retail sector in light of the rapid economic and technical transformations and its role in strengthening relations between the two brotherly countries.

Mohammed Abdulaziz Al Shaya, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mabanee Company, will speak at the session, and he will be interviewed by Lubna Bouza, a journalist on Sky News Arabia.

The session, “Memories of Murshid Market…and the Roots of the Kuwaiti-Emirati Partnership,” brings back memories of Murshid Market as one of the prominent commercial and social symbols in the region, and addresses its historical role in stimulating the commercial movement and building bridges of trust between merchants. It also sheds light on the roots of the Kuwaiti-Emirati partnership in the field of trade and business, and how early human and economic relations contributed to establishing sustainable cooperation that formed the basis for joint successes that extended over the decades.

Issam Al-Osaimi, a representative of the Murshid Al-Osaimi family, will speak at the session, and he will be interviewed by writer and journalist Ali Obaid Al-Hamli.

The session, “From Idea to Platform: Emirati-Kuwaiti Youth,” reviews the journey of platforms and companies that started from a pioneering idea and turned into leading digital platforms in the e-commerce and services sector in the region.

It focuses on the specificity of the Emirati and Kuwaiti markets, and their role in testing such pioneering models, accelerating growth, and building trust with users, which contributed to transforming these ideas into regional success stories with a wide impact.

Abdul Rahman Younis, CEO of Waves, Ali Al-Ibrahim, CEO of Cofe App, and Murshid Muhammad, co-founder of DRIVU, will speak at the session. The dialogue will be moderated by economic narrator and writer Abdullah Al-Mashout.

The “Entrepreneurial Journey: From Creativity to Sustainable Economic Impact” session will review the experiences and journey of entrepreneurs from the moment of creativity and the first idea, through the stages of establishment and challenges, all the way to achieving sustainable economic impact.

It focuses on the role of entrepreneurship in diversifying economies, creating job opportunities, and building business models capable of growth and continuity, while highlighting inspiring experiences from the region that reflect how innovation turns into long-term economic value and how to impact society.

Dana Al-Shaiji, a content creator and entrepreneur, Mahmoud Al-Khamis, founder and general manager of The Food District, and Ghanem Al-Qassim, co-founder of The Food District, will speak at the session, and they will be interviewed by the content creator, Ahmed Al-Marzouqi.

The session “National Bank of Kuwait and Emirates NBD: Models of an Emirati-Kuwaiti banking journey” discusses the banking journey of two of the most prestigious banking institutions in the region, namely the National Bank of Kuwait and Emirates NBD, as they are prominent models of banking integration and cooperation between the Emirates and Kuwait.

The session reviews the stages of transformation and growth, the development paths of the two banks, and the role of regional partnerships in building strong financial institutions capable of competing regionally and globally, while highlighting the lessons learned from the merger and expansion experience.

Speaking at the session will be His Excellency Hisham Al-Qassim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Emirates NBD Group, and Zaid Essam Al-Saqr, Executive Vice President of the Foreign Branches Group at the National Bank of Kuwait, and they will be interviewed by journalist Marwan Al-Hall.

The session “History of the Sayyed Al-Razouqi Family in the Emirates” discusses the early and influential role of the Al-Razouqi family in the Emirates, and its contributions to consolidating administrative and economic work during the period before the establishment of the Union. The session also reviews the dimensions of the historical and social relations that brought together the Emirates and Kuwait, and the role of the family in strengthening fraternal ties and cooperation between the two countries, which reflects the depth of the common Gulf extension and its impact in building stability and development in the region.

Engineer Maan Mahmoud Razooqi, CEO of the International Marine Construction Company, and Hisham Sayed Abdul Razzaq Al Razouqi, former CEO of the Gulf Investment Corporation, will speak at the session, and they will be interviewed by Dubai Media’s Nofer Ramool.

A dialogue session entitled: “The Story of Al-Kharafi in the Emirates” will be hosted by Talal Jassim Al-Kharafi from the Al-Kharafi Group, and the session will be moderated by journalist Jamal Al-Mulla.

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