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Ushering A New Dawn

Riza Muhammed, Chairman at SLBC is optimistic that Sri Lankans in the UAE will continue to make the nation proud with their business activities

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Formed in 1992, under the umbrella of the Consulate-General of Sri Lanka in Dubai and Northern Emirates, the Sri Lankan Business Council (SLBC) was founded with the core focus to facilitate the growth of trade and tourism between Sri Lanka and the UAE while supporting the business community to make its presence felt in the country. Furthermore, the organisation aims to capitalise on the opportunities that are available to Sri Lankan community and to help them improve their trading activities.

PROMISING SECTORS

Riza Muhammed, Chairman at SLBC said that there is a renewed interest from the UAE to invest in Sri Lanka while Sri Lankan entrepreneurs are increasingly interested in setting up their operations in Dubai and the UAE in order to trade with the international markets particularly Middle East and Africa region and this is extremely positive and interesting.

Muhammed added that the country has shown in the past that it is a resilient nation and has constantly bounced back in the past. “Sri Lanka is also country well known for its quality of work and efficiency supported by a highly educated workforce. Hence, the business community is aware of the advantages and opportunities they could capitalise in times like this. On the other hand, the administration back in Sri Lanka are quite open to any investments or business ideas to ensure they get the appropriate support and our Consular office and the Embassy too are fully geared to engage and facilitate those initiatives,” he added. On the topic of key sector, Muhammed said traditionally, the island nation has been renowned for its tea, supported by refined petroleum products, spices and garments to name a few. “There is excellent potential in the area of IT. Tourism also presents an excellent opportunity for both the markets,” he said.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Looking ahead, Muhammed said that after the pandemic, a renewed interest among the Sri Lankan businesses in the UAE has been witnessed. He added that the manner in which Dubai and the UAE conducted business during the pandemic has secured a solid place for them globally and has made the country into a place that offers conducive environment for business. “As a result, we saw an enhanced interest during our webinars and networking sessions for businesses to set up in the UAE. All this put together along with Sri Lanka almost turning the corner towards the right direction, makes the forecast certainly very encouraging,” he said.

ROLE OF SLBC IN HELPING SRI LANKAN BUSINESSES

Calling it the organisation’s primary goals, Muhammed said: “We create networking opportunities, not just with the Sri Lanka Business Council members, but with other business communities. Inter business council activities that we participate are seen as very useful by the membership.” He added that SLBC connects businessmen with the Chamber of Commerce regularly to raise their concerns as well as to provide feedback with a view to improving the trading conditions overall. In addition to the networking opportunities, the council conducts periodic workshops and webinars to keep the members informed about the rules of engagement.

75TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

As part of the Independence Day celebrations, an event under the patronage of the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Dubai is being held on February 11 at the ‘Mega Bowl’ in Zabeel Park Dubai. The event highlights include a mega cultural show with a troupe flown in from Sri Lanka, local musical band, and cultural performances during the day, and more.

Muhammad also said “We expect a large turnout of not just Sri Lankans, but all nationalities to attend the celebrations at the Zabeel Park and experience the Sri Lankan hospitality, culture and cuisine to celebrate our special day”. All in all , road ahead is challenging yet still very exciting. We are in a world class city, full of opportunities and Sri Lankan entrepreneurs are gearing up to be a part of the success and use this trading hub to promote their product and services not just to UAE, but to the international community through this hub.

— ali@khaleejtimes.com

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