Creating an entrepreneurial future

As the Secretary General of IICUAE, Mauro Marzocchi stays at the helm of promoting the opportunities Italy's regions hold in the UAE

The six months’ period during which Expo 2020 Dubai took place was an electric and enthusiastic one. We are sure that there will be amazing consequences for the future of the UAE, in the same way that it was for Expo 2015 in Milan.

We are very proud about the fact that the Italian Pavillon has been considered one of the best and the most visited one. Thanks to this, the international image of Italy has been enforced and enlarged.

The activities carried out by the Italian Pavillon were — so to say — brilliant, which means that both the number of visitors and events and the contents it provided were many and varied. This has even been confirmed by the Italian Industry & Commerce Office.

The interesting thing that deserves to be outlined is the fact that every week (during all the six months) some cultural, business, tourism’ activities and events have been organized and promoted by the different Italian regions. This active and working environment has consolidated the relationship both with the Arab Emirates and, in particular, with Dubai.

The solid presence of Italy in all events and different kinds of organisations has been enforced and deeply promoted even by the constant presence of the “Innovation Centre of Lombardia Region”. It has organised important and relevant initiatives for all the six months with no stop.

The Italian Industry & Commerce Office in UAE has actively collaborated with different regions. In particular, it works hand in hand with “LazioInnova” (Lazio Region), “Venicepromex” (Veneto Region), Calabria Region, “Abruzzo Sviluppo” (Abruzzo Region) and Sicily Region.

Moreover, the work of the Italian Industry & Commerce Office in UAE does not end up here since, during Expo 2020 Dubai, it has carried on several and distinct works with other Italian Commerce Offices, like “Confartigianato Calabria”, “Confindustria Venezia” and “Confindustria Calabria”.

Numerous initiatives and projects have been developed even thanks to the collaboration with Marche Region, for instance the “Floema”, “Tipicità”, “Non solo Caffè” projects have been promoted.

The majority of the projects that have been promoted by the Italian Industry Office in UAE in collaboration with the different Regions will be explained in the following pages.

The Italian regions that have collaborated with the Italian Industry and Commerce Office during this six months’ period of Expo 2020 Dubai have decided to put forward their work and to foster their relationship with the UAE even after the end of Expo 2020 Dubai. Many agreements have been settled with the Italian Industry and Commerce Office in UAE, which will see the fixed presence for a year of the Italian Regions with their own office and continuative initiatives in the territory. The Regions that have settled the agreements are: “LazioInnova” (Lazio Region), “Venicepromex” (Veneto Region), Calabria Region, “Abruzzo Sviluppo” (Regione Abruzzo) and Sicily Region.

Visit of Italian Deputy Minister for Economic Development Gilberto Pichetto

The first stage of the institutional mission to the UAE of the Italian Deputy Minister for Economic Development Gilberto Pichetto ends in the presence of the Italian industrial and economic world. The meeting, promoted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE and under the auspices of the Italian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, was attended by Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Consul-General of Italy in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, Carlo Ferro, ICE President, together with Mauro Marzocchi.

In the opening greeting to the evening, the Deputy Minister recalled that the companies, supported by the approximately 90 Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, among which, the Italian Chamber of Commerce of Dubai that organised the meeting, and it is always among the first chambers in the world for activity, are the voice of our country.

A country that has always been a “transformer”, which has been able to make up for the small number of raw materials at its disposal by inventing and reinventing itself through its companies, the driving force of the Italian economy.

Ferro who also joined the celebration of the Italian entrepreneurial reality, underlined in his speech Italy’s ability to create an interconnected system: from the ministry of economic development to the consular network and the companies presence at Expo 2020 Dubai, resulted in a keen interest by the Emirates towards the Italian entrepreneurial system as demonstrated by the most recent visit to the Italian industry clusters by Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy.

Italy, as the President of ICE said, has given ample proof of representing a valid partner in the realisation of sustainable and digital development of countries in strong growth and with great economic availability such as that of the UAE, whose commercial exchange with Italy is currently equal to 8.4 billion euros.

In his speech, the Consul-General, in bringing greetings from the Italian Ambassador, recalled the importance of the UAE for Italian exports.

Words shared by the Councilor of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in the UAE, Stefano Campagna who reiterated the importance of creating connections. The Councilor invited Italian companies to consider the Chamber of Commerce as their home, increasingly committed to achieving important results in the course of this new phase of renewal and transformation which entrepreneurial realities can benefit from, as well as relations with institutions, with the hope of continuing to work together.