Shurooq calls on Chinese companies to expand investments

The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) concluded a successful participation in the China International Fair for Investment and Trade (Ningxia 2012). The exposition was held from 12 - 16 September at the Exhibition Centre in Yinchuan city in the region’s capital Yinchuan. Shurooq’s stand received significant notice from government and private companies, as well as investors and official figures, including Chinese Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, during the five-day event where they acquainted themselves with investment opportunities available in the Emirate. Commenting on Shurooq’s participation, Marwan bin Jassim Al Sarkal, Shurooq CEO, said: “The Arab-Chinese business event offered us a precious opportunity to meet with business people and investors to get a bird’s-eye-view on the investment climate in China and highlight investment opportunities in the UAE. It also offered us a unique platform to strengthen avenues of cooperation between the UAE and China and help take bilateral economic and commercial relations to higher levels in view of shared visions and mutual interest between both countries.” He noted that there are more than 120 Chinese companies operating in Sharjah with total investments of Dh100 million. Referring to the deep-rooted economic ties between Sharjah and China, Al Sarkal expressed Shurooq’s willingness to provide every possible form of support to Chinese companies and called on various Chinese companies to invest in Sharjah and expand their business scope in all sectors, specifically technology and renewable energy. In the same context, Humaid Abdullah Al Khateri, Commercial Director of the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone), gave a presentation on the potential, history and development of the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone. “There are about 5,700 companies from 91 countries operating in the free zone in three main sectors, including industry, trade and the service sector. These companies benefit from facilities provided by free zones in the UAE and Sharjah in particular, where they benefit from openness to global markets, freehold, and tax exemptions, a fact that has made Sharjah an important destination favoured by business people from all over the world.”