First Trade Mission to France to Promote Bilateral Economic Prospects

Dubai Business Women Council and French Business Council of Dubai & Northern Emirates leads delegation to explore mutual beneficial opportunities

Dubai, UAE, 02 June 2015

The Dubai Business Women Council (DBWC), along with the French Business Council of Dubai & Northern Emirates, announced their first trade mission agenda to France, taking place until 04 June in Paris. The goal is to promote business opportunities for both countries and to explore bilateral synergies for the advancement of future collaborations between Dubai, the greater UAE, and France.

This unique trade mission is led by Dr. Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg, President of the DBWC and Managing Director of the Easa Saleh Al Gurg Group LLC (ESAG), and organized by accredited business women Mrs. Agnes Lopez-Cruz, Director of the French Business Council of Dubai & the Northern Emirates (FBC), Ms. Nadine Halabi Manager – Business Development, DBWC, and Mrs. Julie Barbier Leblan, General Secretary of the FBC, Founder of FBC women business club and Managing Partner of MyList. Mrs. Genevieve Miraillet, geneticist and wife of His Excellency Mr. Michel Miraillet, French Ambassador in the UAE, has accepted to be the godmother of this mission. French multinational company Thales, a leader in electrical systems, aerospace, defense, transportation is also among the biggest sponsors of the mission. Fifteen high profile Emirati and French business women are part of this delegation to France, which kicked off on 31 May 2015.

The delegates will participate in a five day visit to France to increase awareness on French enterprises and savoir-faire in Dubai. The mission is expected to strengthen the business contacts and expand the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries.

“As the epicenter for business advancement in Dubai, along with being the strongest promoter of women empowerment in the UAE, it is our biggest aspiration to strengthen ties with likeminded countries, like France, to strengthen business relationships between our two countries,” said Dr. Raja Easa Saleh Al Gurg, President of the DBWC. “This trade mission is supported by a strong delegation of influential female leaders from both the UAE and France who have mutual intentions to explore how our two countries can increase business relations and we look forward to the outcome of this mission for the betterment of both countries.”

The delegation includes prominent business leaders from both the UAE and France:

·      Faiza Al Sayed - Vice President of the DBWC. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and is a member of the Arab International Women’s Forum – London.

·      Khawla Lootah - Board Member of the DBWC and the owner of various successful and diverse businesses: Lapis Designing, Suba Spa, Renee Jewellery, Al Durrar Exhibitions and Conferences and Kushner Kids Middle east.  

·      Maryam Al Noori - Board Member of the DBWC, Managing Director, Worood Intraflora LLC.

·      Samia Saleh - Board Member of the DBWC, owner of Courtyard Galleries and shareholder of AMSAF Investment LLC.

·      Sofi A. Saleh - Board Member of the DBWC, and Managing Director, Petals Interiors LLC. She is also a Director at Amsaf LLC and sits on the Board of Directors of Amsaf Investments. Sofi also sits on the Board of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

·      Fathiya Al Khamiri – Board Member of the DBWC and Founder and Designer of Oh, La La! Abaya Couture and the Director of the Male Program (SA) in Dubai and Abu Dhabi at Zayed University.

·      Farida Kamber Al Awadhi – Board Member of the DBWC and owner and Managing Director of Cinmar Design. President and one of the founding members of APID (Association of Professional Interior Designers).

·      Dina Al Herais - VP Commercial - VIP Customer Relations for Emirates.

·      Fatma Al Khoori – UAE entrepreneur.

·      Chafiah Al Jaziri - an Advocate at Ja'afar Alwan, Al Jaziri & Associates.

·      Nadine Halabi - Business Development Manager of DBWC.

The first day’s itinerary focuses on French expertise in medical research. The delegation will be given a presentation on the program IMAGINE at hôpital NECKER with Professor Marina Cavazzana, a geneticist specialized in Thalassemia, followed by a private tour of the Généthon d’Evry (private visit of the laboratory of the French Agency of Muscular Distrophy – AFM- and of the production site of drugs for Gene Therapy). The day will be concluded with a function focusing on the Hospital of the Future, sponsored by AIA Consulting.

The second day targets woman entrepreneurship and the French Senate. The delegation will be welcome by the Fondation Cartier and watch a presentation of the Cartier Awards as well as be introduced to the business incubator "Paris pionnières"; followed by a guided visit of the expo of Bruce Naumann. The afternoon is dedicated to a private visit of the Senate by French Senator Jean-Jacques Lozach.

On the third day, the delegation will participate in round table discussions on the place of women in the economy in France and in the UAE at UNESCO preceded by a lunch with DG Irina Bokova and high level guests involved in women empowerment programs. The trade mission will be concluded by discussions led by the Paris Chamber of Cce presentation on "Doing Business in France and Commercial Synergies with the UAE" followed by a presentation on Luxury and Sustainable Development by Citzen Luxury. Finally, the delegation will have the opportunity to visit L’Oreal’s laboratory and research and innovation team, pioneers in the cosmetics industry.

Julie Barbier Leblan, CEO of Mylist.ae and General Secretary of the French Business Council, one of the organisers of the of the trade mission, added: “It is a pleasure to work with such inspiring women and accompany them to my country to showcase what France has to offer to Dubai in terms of medical research, science and entrepreneurship”.

The UAE is France’s first trade partner in the Middle East. Further to a series of governmental visits, France and the UAE have committed themselves to expand the trade volume between the two countries by 50% over the coming five years, as well as doubling the number of tourists.  Joint development projects in third party countries will also be launched, as stated in the tripartite agreement France –U.A.E – Egypt, which has been signed by Mrs. Anne-Marie Idrac in March 2015.

The bilateral trade between the UAE and France has exceeded 5.5 billion euros in 2013.  The French exports towards the UAE have increased by more than 4% with a trade surplus of 3 billion Euros in favor of France. Between 2000 and 2014, the French exports have raised by 79%. The Emirate of Dubai itself welcomes 500 of the 1000 French companies registered in the U.A.E and 75% of the 25 000 French residents of the country. In 2013, nearly 186,000 French citizens visited the Emirate of Dubai.