Ecuador connects locally at Gulfood

Sami Al Qamzi and Francisco Rivadeneira speaking at the ‘Experience Ecuador... Love Life!’ event.

Over 150 Ecuadorian companies on Monday attended a networking event that focused on showcasing the growing opportunities that Ecuador has to offer to the UAE food and beverage sector.

The event, entitled “Experience Ecuador… Love Life!”, was organised by PRO Ecuador, the trade and investment promotion agency of the Ecuadorian Ministry of International Trade, and took place on the second day of Gulfood 2014. Several local, regional and international companies and traders, as well as food and beverage producers and manufacturers from Ecuador, were present at the event, which acted as a platform for Ecuadorian companies to link up with key UAE business organisations.

Key speakers at the event included Sami Al Qamzi, director-general of the Dubai Department of Economic Development; Kabalan Abisaab, Ambassador of Ecuador in Qatar; Antonio Ruales, executive director of PRO Ecuador; Adil Al Zarouni, senior vice-president of the Jebel Ali Free Zone; and Saed Al Awadi, chief executive officer of Dubai Exports.

“The policy focus of the Dubai government and its emphasis on public-private partnerships are encouraging major international firms to use Dubai as a platform for growth and expansion,” said Al Qamzi. “Trade between Ecuador and Dubai during the first nine months of 2013 stood at Dh29.3 million, with exports and re-exports accounting for almost Dh15 million,” he revealed. “Our current trade volume calls for innovative approaches and substantial groundwork, to capitalise on existing opportunities. With our bilateral trade potential and cultural relations that bind our people we can make significant achievements together.”

“Dubai has a vibrant food sector that is a major component of its foreign trade. It’s therefore commendable that PRO Ecuador has chosen Gulfood... to showcase their strength and connect with the local trade.”

“The Ecuadorian government is supporting our local companies by opening new markets for business opportunities. The UAE is one of our key trade partners in the Middle East having witnessed a growth of 8.1 per cent in non-oil exports from Ecuador last year compared to 2012,” said Francisco Rivadeneira, Ecuador’s Minister of International Trade. “We are grateful to the far-sighted vision of the UAE Government and its Rulers, as well as the warm reception provided to Ecuador to increase its global trade footprint.”

Al Qamzi also noted that promoting commercial exchanges with fast-emerging economies all over the world was a focal point of Dubai’s economic agenda, which is in turn is guided by a vision that centres on “taking Dubai to the next level”, from its long-standing reputation as a regional hub.

“In 2013, Dubai’s non-oil foreign trade for the first nine months reached Dh1 trillion, from Dh918 billion for the same period in 2012,” he said. “It speaks of the rising prominence of Dubai and the UAE as a hub and gateway for global trade. South America represents a large economic bloc, with close to 600 million people and a GDP of more than $3.7 trillion. Its foreign trade has exceeded $1.4 trillion in recent years.”

“Dubai has a lot to offer in terms of goods and services to South America in general, and to Ecuador in particular, including tourism,” Al Qamzi observed.