Business | Economy

Mena 'very important to British businesses'

Middle East and North African (Mena) markets are offering huge opportunities for British business as economies across the region are booming and trade is growing rapidly, according to Britain's minister for trade and investment, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.

  • By Suzanne Fenton, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:44 April 4, 2008
  • Gulf News

Dubai: Middle East and North African (Mena) markets are offering huge opportunities for British business as economies across the region are booming and trade is growing rapidly, according to Britain's minister for trade and investment, Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.

He was speaking yesterday at "Britain in the Region", an event aimed to boost trade and investment between the UAE and the UK.

"The Middle East and north African region is an expanding and developing market and is very important to British businesses and the UK. While the UAE already has a very good relationship with British trading, "Britain in the Region" is a great initiative to help British companies that use Dubai as a hub to expand further into the Mena region," said Mark Beer, chairman of the British Business Group.

Big competition

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York and UK special representative for international trade and investment was guest of honour at the event.

He said, "We [the UK] have a long and historical relationship with this region but we're having to fight a bigger international competition so our relative value to the UAE and Dubai, especially, is diminishing."

Prince Andrew said that Dubai was a "serious regional hub" for lots of different reasons, including healthcare, real estate and construction.

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