DCCI highlights business opportunities in Ghana
DUBAI: Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (DCCI) representative office in Ghana recently organised a webinar in cooperation with the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and Dubai Investment (DI), which examined investment, business and partnership opportunities in the healthcare and manufacturing sectors of Ghana.
The virtual event, atended by 236 participants from the UAE and Africa, familiarised UAE companies with new investment opportunities in Ghana’s healthcare and manufacturing sectors, as well as existing synergies that could be developed with companies in Ghana’s healthcare sector.
Speakers and panelists participating in the webinar included Omar Khan, Director of International Offices, Dubai Chamber; Yofi Grant, CEO, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC); and Sreekumar Brahmanandan, Director of Operations Dubai Investments Industries (DI).
Addressing participants, Khan shared insights on the Uae-ghana trade relations, which he says have expanded considerably following the opening of Dubai Chamber’s representative office in Accra six years ago. Since then, Dubai-ghana non-oil trade has nearly doubled to reach $1.7 billion in 2019, while the Chamber has organised several trade missions to Dubai, which introduced Ghanaian business leaders with opportunities in the market.
He added that Dubai Chamber’s representative office in Accra is ready to support UAE companies that want to learn more about doing business in Ghana. He also encouraged Ghanaian companies to participate in Expo 2020 Dubai and the Global Business Forum Africa, which will be held in Dubai later this year, adding that these events provide ideal plaforms to explore new growth opportunities and build cross-border partnerships.
Separately, the value of Dubai Chamber members’ exports and re-exports to Latin America surged 69 per cent to reach a record $60.5 million in the first quarter of 2021, a trend supported by increased activity among companies in Dubai that are already trading with the region.
New data released Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry indicated that the increase in Latin America-bound shipments among members reflected a long-term trend rather than a Covid-led rebound as the declared value of COOS increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.4 per cent since Q1-2016. The uptick in exports came as Dubai Chamber gradually expanded its presence and activities in Latin America in recent years.
Ater opening its first representative office in the region in Brazil in 2017, the organisation established two more offices in Panama and Argentina, which play a crucial role in identifying trade and investment opportunities in promising markets. In addition, the offices organise trade missions, business forums and high-level meetings, while they also promote Dubai as a global business hub at major exhibitions and conferences. Three quarters of the $60.5 million worth of exports and re-exports to Latin America in Q1-2021 were atributed to three key markets —namely, Brazil, which accounted for the largest share of 36 per ce, followed by Mexico (26 per cent) and Venezuela (14 per cent).