Sharjah: The Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) welcomed a delegation from the Sharjah-based US Regional Trade Centre (USARTC) to explore future collaboration between the two sides.
The USARTC delegation included its CEO J.S. Solaiman, Vice-President Alia Karmeh, National Sales Director Dawn Warner, and Kim Childs.
The aim of the visit was to familiarise the USARTC with Shurooq’s various ongoing and planned projects as well as the Authority’s investment related activities.
USARTC in turn gave an overview of their mission and activities in the region, which focuses on enabling business, trade, and cultural understanding between the US and the UAE and the greater Middle Eastern region, through the facilitation of service, trade, manufacturing, and agricultural export opportunities for US Small and Medium size Enterprises (SME’s) to the region, with the ultimate aim to create US jobs through US export.
Shurooq CEO Marwan Al Sarkal said: “The volume of UAE/US trade in 2012 was $15.58 billion, ranking the US as the UAE’s third most important trade partner. In addition, the UAE has been the Arab world’s leading importer of US goods and services for the past five years, importing US goods and services in 2011 worth more than $15.88 billion. For this reason we are looking forward to further strengthening the relationship between the US and the Emirates, specifically Sharjah. In line with our mandate we are constantly exploring ways through which to increase Sharjah and the UAE’s investment footprint and USARTC various projects and activities afford a multitude of opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation.”
