This came during two separate meetings conducted by Abdullah Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of the Board of Directors of SCCI, with Dr. Mohamed Moamen Sadiq, Consul General of the Federal Republic of the Comoros in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, Andrew Tsibo Libona, Consul General of the Republic of South Africa in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and the diplomatic delegations accompanying them, in the presence of Abdulaziz Shattaf, Assistant Director General of the Communication and Business Sector, Jamal Saeed Bouznjal, Director of the Corporate Communication Department at SCCI, and Fatima Khalifa Al-Muqrab, Director of the International Relations Department in the Chamber.
The two meetings discussed ways to develop the existing relations between the Emirate of Sharjah, South Africa, and the Comoros, possible areas of cooperation to serve economic relations supporting businessmen to invest in vital sectors, especially in infrastructure, roads and transportation in addition to agricultural production, health care, education, entrepreneurship, innovation, information technology, waste recycling, etc. as well as launching joint programmes and events to introduce the business community to the available and promising investment opportunities for each side.
Abdullah Sultan Al Owais stressed that the relations between the UAE, South Africa, and the Comoros are continuously developing. Abdullah Sultan Al Owais tackled the services and facilities provided by SCCI to its affiliated members from the sector representatives and the level of cooperation in supporting companies and institutions from South Africa, the Comoros, and different countries of the world that wish to invest in Sharjah, calling for taking advantage of the promising opportunities available to find new business partnerships in all economic sectors.
Al Owais pointed out that Sharjah's economy has all elements of growth in a number of vital investment sectors and that the diversity and integration provided great opportunities to ensure investors' business sustainability, supported by advanced infrastructure, a promising economic environment, continuous government spending, as well as free zones and industrial zones, which contribute to stimulating foreign direct investment.
Dr. Mohamed Moamen Sadiq, Consul General of the Federal Republic of the Comoros in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, praised the positive role played by SCCI in developing bilateral relations at all levels, stressing his country's keenness to benefit from the successful experiences achieved by Sharjah, and Sharjah position in Comoros local markets, pointing that the UAE is one of the main partners for the development of necessary services in the Comoros.
Andrew Tsibo Libona, Consul General of the Republic of South Africa in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, was pleased that SCCI was ready to provide all available possibilities to develop areas of economic cooperation with his country, expressing his appreciation and gratitude to SCCI's role in developing economic relations with different African countries, in general, and with his country in particular. He stressed that the South African Consulate is keen to establish permanent coordination and continuous cooperation with SCCI to improve trade and investment relations between the two countries.
It is noteworthy that non-oil foreign trade between the UAE and South Africa, last year, totaled 6.5 billion US dollars, a growth of 9.3% compared to 2021 and record growth of 42.9% and 66.9% compared to 2020 and 2019. South Africa is the second largest trading partner of the UAE in Africa, with a share of 8% of the UAE's total non-oil trade with Africa. South Africa is the UAE's first African trading partner outside of the Arab countries in the continent.
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