The Arab-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Development hosted Tuesday the fifth workshop, “Doing Business in the Arab World,” in Athens, alongside the sixth roundtable discussion, “Meet the Arab Ambassadors.”
The roundtable, moderated by Rashad Mabger, the chamber’s secretary-general, welcomed 88 business leaders from 67 Greek companies.
It featured discussions on Arab-Greek relations with participation from several ambassadors, including Omar Amer (Egypt), Saad Alammar (Saudi Arabia), Mohammed Sbihi (Morocco), Mansour Saad Alolaimi (Kuwait), and Zuhair Ensour (Jordan). They addressed their countries’ relations with Greece, investment opportunities, and prospects for enhancing bilateral trade and business collaboration.
Egypt’s Ambassador Amer highlighted the growing economic and trade ties between Egypt and Greece, referencing key strategic projects in the energy sector, such as the electrical interconnection initiative.
He also pointed out promising investment opportunities in infrastructure, port connectivity, maritime transport, and joint tourism, which align with the mutual interests of both nations. He elaborated on the incentives that Egypt offers to attract foreign investments.
The second session featured Ambassadors Souad Trabelsi (Tunisia) and Ali Khalfan Al-Mansouri (Qatar), along with Chargés d’Affaires Firas Al Rashidi (Syria), Amjd Elyas (Sudan), Marwan Francis (Lebanon), and Adra Benboudiaf (Algeria).
Moderated by Haris Lambropoulos, president of the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments, the speakers highlighted their countries’ investment environments and preferred sectors to enhance trade ties and partnerships with Greece.
Harry Theoharis, a member of the Hellenic Parliament and candidate for the UN Tourism Secretary General position, reiterated his commitment to bolstering Arab-Greek relations across business and cultural sectors, building on his previous role as minister of tourism and vice minister of economy.
Dimitris Skalkos, Greek secretary-general for international economic relations, discussed the Hellenic government’s initiatives to strengthen Greek-Arab cooperation and outlined Greece’s potential as a business and investment hub.
Kyriakos Pozrikidis, managing director of TIF HELEXPO S.A., elaborated on the rich history and significance of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition as Greece’s premier international fair.
As a cherished tradition, the fifth edition of the “Doing Business in the Arab World” workshop offered valuable insights for Greek entrepreneurs aiming to enter or expand in Arab markets.
Takis Kakayannis, trade commissioner and former president of the Greek community in Morocco, shared key aspects of doing business in Morocco.
Spyros Xanthis, managing director of EUROSOL HELLAS S.A. and board member of the Arab-Hellenic Chamber, moderated a panel featuring presentations by Commercial Attachés from various Greek embassies, including Afroditi Iconomou (Algeria), Stamatios Zachariadis (Tunisia), and Evangelos Dairetzis (Cairo), along with staff members from the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The workshop concluded with representatives from Greek companies engaging in direct discussions with commercial attachés, gaining insights into the specific dynamics of Arab markets.
The Arab-Hellenic Chamber invited attendees to participate in the second Arab-Hellenic Maritime Conference, which is scheduled for 25-26 June this year.
source/content: english.ahram.org.eg (headline edited)
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