On 19-5-2025, the meetings of the Executive Office and the Board of Directors of the Arab-German Chamber were held in the German capital, Berlin, under the chairmanship of the President of the Chamber Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and in the presence of the Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, and members from the Arab and German sides, led by the President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce Khalil Haj Tawfiq, the President of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry Samir Abdullah Nass, the President of the Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, the Council of Arab Ambassadors accredited to Germany, and the Secretary-General of the Arab-German Chamber Abdul Aziz Al-Mikhlafi.
During the meetings, they discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations in light of the current changes in the global economy. During the meeting, the minutes of the joint meeting of the Executive Bureau and the Board of Directors held in September 2024 were also approved, in addition to reviewing the Chairman's report and the report of the Secretary-General. They also reviewed the financial conditions of the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and discussed the final account for the past year 2024. In addition to approving the draft budget of the Chamber for the year 2026 to be presented to the General Assembly, in addition to reviewing the activities of the Chamber for the years 2025-2026.
The Secretary-General of the Union of Arab Chambers, Dr. Khaled Hanafy, praised the work of the chambers and their activities and achievements, especially in light of the radical changes in the global economy as a result of the ongoing global trade war.
He pointed to the importance of Europe, especially Germany, taking advantage of the current situation in order to establish close partnerships with the Arab world, by promoting joint investments and not limiting them to traditional trade based on import and export, in order to transfer the advanced technology it possesses to Arab markets, thus promoting feasible investment in the sectors needed by the Arab economy. He called for benefiting from efficient human resources in the Arab world to help them fill the gap of trained labor in Europe in general and Germany in particular.
For his part, the President of the Jordan Chamber of Commerce, Khalil Haj Tawfiq, revealed the approval of the Executive Office of the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its Board of Directors to hold a meeting in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in response to the invitation made by the Jordan Chamber of Commerce. He noted that the Chamber's invitation was accepted and welcomed by members of the Executive Office, especially that His Majesty King Abdullah met with German business owners and companies during his recent visit to Berlin, inviting them to visit the Kingdom and learn about investment opportunities there. Haj Tawfiq pointed out that the Arab-German Chamber will coordinate with Jordan Trade to agree on the exact date and all other details, describing this as an important achievement for the Kingdom as it will be the first meeting of the Executive Office outside Germany. He pointed out that the meeting will be accompanied by the organization of an Arab-German business forum, which constitutes a strong opportunity for Jordan to present investment opportunities to Arab and German investors. In addition to reviewing the opportunities available in many commercial and service sectors, especially religious and historical tourism.
Haj Tawfiq said that the forum will focus on reconstruction projects in the region, especially in Syria, Iraq and Lebanon, which enables Jordan to be a center and headquarters for German companies in this regard, in addition to strengthening Arab-German relations through the establishment of trade and investment partnerships.
For his part, the Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Samir Abdullah Nass, revealed that the volume of Arab-German trade exchange in the past two years amounted to $ 69 billion, of which Bahrain's share is $ 656 million. He pointed out that there are promising opportunities to deepen Bahraini-German investment despite the increasing challenges in the global financial markets.
The President of the Chamber called for building technical and investment partnerships to promote the interests of the Arab economy and achieve sustainable development. He considered that Bahrain is an attractive investment environment and a strategic station for the Gulf countries in cooperation with Germany. He pointed to the plowing to build qualitative partnerships in the fields of technology and industry to promote sustainable development.
The Secretary-General of the Arab-German Chamber, Abdulaziz Al-Mikhlafi, stressed that the Chamber exercises its purely economic role, focusing its efforts on enhancing trade and investment cooperation, stressing the Chamber's commitment to work with all partners and stakeholders in order to achieve the interests of the common economy and enhance opportunities for growth and sustainable development.
Source (Union of Arab Chambers)
