The Secretary General of the Union of Arab Chambers, His Excellency Dr. Khaled Hanafi, affirmed during his speech at the opening of the workshop held on February 28, 2024, entitled: “The World Trade Organization: The Arab Region’s Aspirations for Economic Integration and International Trade.” This is on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization conference hosted by the Emirati capital, Abu Dhabi, and jointly organized by the Union of Arab Chambers, the Union of Emirati Chambers, the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Arab-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “We live in an era in which geopolitical changes are accelerating and supply chains are becoming complex, which forces us to adapt to these changes and search for new opportunities to ensure the continuity and growth of our business. Hence, the importance of this conference is highlighted in highlighting these challenges and opportunities, and how the World Trade Organization can play a pivotal role in supporting our business and protecting our interests. We at the Union of Arab Chambers are fully aware of the importance of the private sector’s role in enhancing intra-Arab trade and creating new opportunities for growth and development.”
The workshop was attended by the heads and members of the chambers and federations of Arab chambers, the first vice president of the Abu Dhabi Chamber and a member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Emirates Chambers, Dr. Saeed bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Okonjo Eyewala, and representatives of the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Secretary General of the Swiss Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Hilda Al Hinai, and representatives of the Chamber, in addition to the Senior Advisor for Companies, Parliamentary Awareness and Intergovernmental Organizations (Department of Media and External Relations at the World Trade Organization), Dr. Saeed Al Hashemi, and a crowd of Arab businessmen and interested parties.
His Excellency Dr. Khaled Hanafi pointed out that “this distinguished conference, which brings together an elite of Arab businessmen on the sidelines of the World Trade Organization conference, represents a turning point in the course of international and Arab trade. We seek to learn about the importance of the World Trade Organization rules in our international trade and how to use these rules to protect our interests and enhance our effective participation.”
His Excellency the Secretary-General considered that “one of the most prominent goals of this conference is to strengthen the role of the Union of Arab Chambers in representing the Arab private sector in the World Trade Organization, and to pave the way for the Union’s membership in the organization as an observer in some important technical committees, such as the Technical Barriers to Trade Committee and the Sanitary and Phytosanitary Committee.” Stressing that "this step will enable us, as a Union of Arab Chambers and as an Arab private sector, to play a more effective role in formulating decisions that affect our international trade and better protect our interests."
He said, “We firmly believe that Arab businessmen are the main driving force of our economies, and they are the ones who have the ability to transform challenges into opportunities. Therefore, we are called upon today to actively participate and contribute to identifying the obstacles facing us and to work together to find innovative solutions that support the growth of our business and contribute to Achieving sustainable development in our countries.”
At the end of his speech, his Excellency Khaled Hanafi expressed his appreciation for the attendance and active participation of the Arab private sector in this conference, “I look forward to the constructive discussions, ideas, and proposals that will emerge from it serving as a roadmap towards a brighter future for our Arab trade.”
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
