Sri Lanka at Annual Investment Meeting 2013 in Dubai

Industry and Commerce Minister Rishad Bathiudeen has participated at the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) 2013 which was held from 30 April to 2 May 2013 at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC).

During AIM 2013, Bathiudeen met his UAE Counterpart, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, and held a detailed one-to-one mutual discussion and exchanged views on expanding Sri Lanka’s trade, investment and tourism relations with UAE. Bathiudeen extended an invitation to Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri to visit Sri Lanka at a mutual convenient time in the near future.

On sidelines of AIM, Rishad also met and had one to one meetings with Minister of Commerce and Textile of Pakistan, Minister of Trade and Industry of Kosovo, Director General of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Mauritius.  Taking the advantage of AIM meeting, Minister also explored possibilities of meeting foreign investors and held discussion with individual potential investors including DAMAC Group, UAE based property developers inviting them to Sri Lanka.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, ceremonially opened the grand inauguration of AIM 2013. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade of UAE chaired the First Session of Ministerial meetings.

Bathiudeen stated that the third edition of the AIM would offer a greater insight into investment opportunities within frontier, emerging and transition markets with top notch economic performance. Established as the new staple for foreign trade and FDI, he mentioned that AIM 2013 has attracted a substantial share of capital holders and project developers from mature and industrialized economics including emerging markets.

He added that it is very imperative for Sri Lanka also to attract FDI into the country with many opportunities are opened in the manufacturing, trading, tourism and services sector for foreigners to invest in Sri Lanka and to take the advantage of Sri Lanka’s FTAs with India and Pakistan to reach more than 1 billion market.

The Sri Lanka Mission in Dubai organised and coordinated the program and Abdul Raheem, Consul General of Sri Lanka in Dubai accompanied the Minister for the AIM conference, discussion and meetings.

The Sri Lanka Business Council in Dubai also hosted a dinner meeting for the Minister, expressing their cooperation for the enhancement of Sri Lanka’s trade ties with the UAE.