Foundation for business ventures

Italian Industry and Commerce in the UAE provides necessary support to organisations looking to set up base in the country. Excerpts from an interview with Shaikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi, President of the Italian Industry and Commerce Office in the UAE (IICUAE):

What are the plans of the IICUAE for the coming years?
The IICUAE's main plan for the future is being a support for Italian companies wanting to participate in Expo 2020. Thanks to the Memorandum of Understanding between Expo Milan 2015 and Expo Dubai 2020, Italian companies will have privileged access to Dubai Universal Exposition. The Chamber has introduced new services for Italian enterprises this year. The "Advanced Services" are dedicated to companies operating in oil and gas, industrial  and machinery, construction and fit-out sectors, and provide support in technology partnership, bid's bundle, joint  venture, project merger and other internationalisation operations.
In the future plans of the Chamber, organisations involved in various editions of IICUAE's important events include: the 2nd edition of the Italian Lifestyle in Dubai, a unique Made in Italy fashion exhibition; the 6th edition of the Gulf International Congress, a two-day workshop dedicated to Italian lawyers, accountants and business consultants, and the 11th edition of the Italian Festival Weeks, a rich calendar of cultural, social and business events aiming at showing Italy's lifestyle to all the communities in the UAE .

Tell us a bit about IICUAE's history.
The IICUAE was established in 1999 in Sharjah as a result of a venture developed by Turin's C.N.A (National Confederation of Artisans and Small and Medium Enterprises), the Piedmont Region and the Italian Trade Commission (now ITA).  In 2002, IICUAE extended its operations from the Piedmont region to the entire Italian territory.  In 2006, IICUAE underwent the process of acknowledgment by the Italian Government as an authorised overseas Italian Chamber of Commerce. On the November 17, 2009, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development officially declared IICUAE as the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE.
The IICUAE's activity grew, particularly in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In May 2015, the organisation moved to a prestigious location - 48 Burjgate in Downtown Dubai, which further reinforces its presence in the  UAE and gives a certain centrality to  its activities.
Today, the IICUAE has 12 employees and a turnover of Dh6 million. In 2015, it assisted 735 companies with consultancy services to help them set up a presence in the UAE.

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• Dubai