Chamber International announces new deal to help businesses trade with UAE and Middle East
15 August 2018
A major new business partnership, which will provide better UK support for companies wishing to trade in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Middle East, has been announced by Chamber International.
The partnership enables Chamber International to offer exporters seamless access to professional services company, The British Centres for Business (BCB), Dubai, which provides a range of support to help UK companies, particularly SMEs, trade in the UAE with local help and reduced risk.
The BCB, which was founded in 2013, works alongside the British government to support UK companies, particularly SMEs, expand into the UAE and use the country as a gateway to The Middle East.
The partnership was ratified this week (July 31) with a visit to the UK by BCB chief executive, Joe Hepworth (pictured below), who was born in Ilkley, and also visited several local companies wishing to trade in the Middle East.
Joe Hepworth says: “Our new partnership with Chamber International means that UK companies wishing to trade with the UAE and Middle East have a trusted partner at both ends of their journey. We have a wealth of knowledge across many commercial sectors to assist UK exporters in a region that newcomers can find hard to access and understand without help. Our support can de-risk and accelerate their export plans.”
Since it launched, the BCB has helped around 200 UK companies in sectors including food and drink, retail, technology, financial services and high-tech engineering to trade in the UAE and another 31 businesses with establishing a base in the UAE through its incubator service.
Joe Hepworth added: “These are young, fast moving countries with aspirations of being global centres and there is consistent demand for quality goods, services and support to get them there. With its excellent infrastructure, the UAE is an ideal base from which to develop the whole Middle East, Africa and South Asia region as well as having a sizable domestic market.
“We are very pleased to have established this partnership with Chamber International. We enjoy close links with British Chambers and Chamber International has always stood out for its energy, activity and focus on exporting to the Middle East.”
Chamber International director, Tim Bailey, says: “The UAE and Middle East is an exciting region, keen to trade with UK companies. We are delighted to promote this dynamic new partnership which mirrors UK government aspirations to make post-Brexit Britain a global trading nation and we believe this initiative will increase the number of UK companies doing business there.”
The BCB offers a range of services including helping UK businesses attain a Dubai or Abu Dhabi trade licence, which is hard to do from outside the region, and establishing UK companies ‘onshore’, allowing complete market access, rather than being part of a free zone. It also advises on company structures for businesses opening subsidiaries there so they retain 100 per cent UK parent company ownership.
Chamber International helps hundreds of new and experienced exporters throughout the UK with a wide range of specialist services to make exporting easier and more cost effective.
For advice on safe and secure market entry in the United Arab Emirates, click here.
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