The First Exporters Forum, due to be held on Nov. 9 at Raffles Hotel Dubai - Wafi City, convenes heads of Dubai government agencies together with local traders, exporters and federal & government employees under the patronage of Eng. Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, Minister of Economy, UAE, with the aim of boosting the country's exports. In 2008, the UAE's total non-oil exports increased to AED60.36 billion over AED36.26 billion in 2007, a hike of 66.5 percent, according to the UAE Ministry of Economy. According to Dubai Trade (Dubai World), the total direct exports from Dubai in 2008 amounted to AED 42.64 billion, an increase of 57.5 percent compared to 2007. Meanwhile, in 2008, India was Dubai's top destination for its direct exports at AED 17.36 billion. Switzerland was in second place with AED 2.71 billion followed by Egypt (AED1.77 billion), Saudi Arabia (AED 1.2 billion) and Kuwait (AED 1.17 billion). The forum is organized by the Dubai Export Development Corporation (EDC), and brings together a distinguished line-up of keynote speakers from the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Foreign Trade, Dubai Customs, Dubai Municipality, Dubai Trade (Dubai World), Dubai Airport Free Zone, Intertek, and the Export Credit Insurance Company of the Emirates (ECIE). The forum aims to provide practical knowledge to manufacturing and exporting companies in all sectors and will cover important topics such as certificates of origin, the opportunities of free trade agreements, product coding system, customs clearance, foreign trade statistics, quality and others. The forum is expected to bring together more than 200 companies and will provide not only an invaluable networking opportunity but also the opportunity to discuss issues concerning the export industry through informative panel discussions and meet with representatives from various government agencies. This First Exporters Forum is one of the tools by which EDC provides the necessary support to its members and the entire exporting community in the country. This is an important event for business people in the UAE looking to enter or even extend their activities in foreign markets. The forum is an ideal opportunity to receive first hand information on exporting from the UAE by experts and representatives of government. It also presents an ideal opportunity to support the country's aim of diversifying its economy and equipping businesses with the right tools to succeed in a competitive global marketplace.
