US to boost trade ties with RAK FTZ

A high-level US delegation, comprising top officials from the American missions in the UAE and representatives of the leading US companies,  recently visited Ras Al Khaimah Free Trade Zone (RAK FTZ), one of the fastest-growing and most cost-effective free trade zones in the UAE. The delegation, led by Michael H. Corbin, US Ambassador to the UAE, held talks with Oussama El Omari, CEO of RAK FTZ, and other top officials of the free zone during the one-day visit, aimed at providing impetus to the US trade cooperation with the free zone and the emirate. Among others, the delegation included Justin Siberell, the US Consul General in Dubai” Tanya Spencer, the US Political Economic Chief at the US Consulate” Robert Bannerman, Commercial Attache and Michael Carney and Robert Kris from the US Consulate in Dubai. This is the second high-level US delegation to RAK FTZ in three months, reinforcing the growing importance of the free zone among the US companies. During the visit, RAK FTZ Marketing and Business Investment Department made presentations on the facilities on offer at the free zone to the officials, followed by a Q&A session. The visit and presentations focused on matters of future trade collaboration between the US companies and RAK FTZ. In his comments on the visit, Oussama El Omari said: “It is a matter of great privilege and honour to host the high-level US delegation at RAK FTZ. The fact that this visit follows the earlier mission in January 2012 amply signifies the huge potential for trade cooperation between the free zone and the US companies. HE Michael Corbin, US Ambassador to the UAE, and other visiting consular and company officials have praised the salient features on offer at RAK FTZ. We definitely see a vast potential for future trade cooperations, out of this visit.” “The US is one of the major trade partners of the UAE and a very important market for us, and we discussed a series of close cooperation opportunities. The visit offered us the opportunity to reinforce our positioning as a business hub geared at helping SMEs and a global business set-up base in the region,” said El Omari. The delegation also included the board members and other representatives from American Business Council (ABC). The ABC mission included Mac McClelland, President and CEO of Center House” Jimmy Larsen, Deputy Managing Director of Momentum Engineering” John Lancia, Director of Government Affairs -Middle East, North Africa and Turkey at General Electric” John Podgore, Partner and President of American Business Council at Dewey & LeBoeuf” and Cara Nazari, Executive Director at ABC.