(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The new year is going to be a buoyant year for the UAE as the country's economy is on track and it will continue to achieve higher growth results on the high performing sectors such as trade, tourism, logistics, aviation and financial services, top industry experts told Khaleej Times.
They are very optimistic for 2013 and expect further boost in businesses on their expansion plans that will create more job opportunities and move the economic wheel of the country more faster.
"We wish the year 2013 will bring in its wake a lot of prosperity for Dubai's business community as we will make our best efforts to support them in their endeavours as well as add momentum to the emirate's growing economy which we hope to see amongst the most prosperous cities in the world," Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry director general Hamad Buamim said.
The chamber's expansion strategy for 2013 is to reach out to a large number of emerging markets in different parts of the world and to promote Dubai to international investors as well as enhance the competitiveness of Dubai businesses abroad, Buamim said.
"We strongly feel that Dubai's economy is on track and will continue its march into 2013 albeit at a better pace. Hopefully, the economic growth in the New Year will subsequently exceed the forecasted five per cent growth of 2012. Our outlook for the year is positive and we anticipate the high performing sectors" to lead the economy and meet higher consumer expectations while improving business conditions and making more jobs available," he added.
Aviation sector also plays a key role in the country's economic growth by bringing more business and leisure travelers. Aviation sector also plans expansion in 2013 and believes business friendly environment helps a lot to support the growth.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, chief executive officer, flydubai, said: "Flydubai would not have been able to grow and develop so quickly if we did not operate in such a fantastic environment for business as the UAE."
In 2013, Al Ghaith hopes the carrier will continue to consistently deliver a quality, affordable service of operation to millions of passengers who have benefitted from the airline's commitment to making travel more accessible and more affordable. "There will be more to come as we seek to widen our network and grow our fleet at a rapid pace," he added.
Dubai Chamber is focusing on strengthening the emirate's connectivity with key high growth markets of the world through global representative offices as it recently opened its first overseas office in Baku, Azerbaijan, which will be followed by two other offices in Kurdistan in Iraq, and the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.
The chamber's direction general said: "We want our members to prosper and to achieve higher re-export targets in the coming months. In the last 11 months of the year, our members' exports and re-exports reached a record high of Dh244 billion, which shows 8.5 per cent year-on-year growth. We are expecting our membership to go up substantially in 2013 on the back of high trade figures and profits and an all-round economic growth."
Ahmed Al Midfa, chairman, Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said: "I wish 2013 will shower more success and achievements on the UAE, its leaders and its people. I am confident that the UAE, under our visionary leaders, will achieve an enviable position in terms of all-round development and prosperity, and become a world leader in sustainability."
Ziad El Chaar, managing director, Damac Properties, commented: "We want to see the market continue to grow in line with the end of 2012, at a steady and consistent level. As more regulation enters the market and confidence continues to build we expect capital investments in real estate deliver a strong return on investment.
Property in Dubai will outperform the stock markets in 2013 as infrastructure and tourism growth drives demand in the region. We want to see the banks support the resurgence by releasing liquidity back into the system and encouraging investment in high end luxury projects across the region."
Firoz Merchant, chairman, Pure Gold Jewellers, believes that continued advancements in technology will make next year even better.
"In 2013, we are looking forward to expanding Pure Gold Jewellers globally into many new countries. At present we are present in eight countries. We are excited about 2013 and enthusiastically look forward to welcoming the new year," Merchant said.
Rajiv Kakar, executive director and chief executive, Dunia Finance, said: "My greatest hope for 2013 is for greater harmony amongst people, greater stability in financial markets, greater empathy towards those who are not so fortunate or privileged, greater sense of responsibility by policy makers to lay the foundation of longer term predictability and sustainability, greater nurturing of an environment where every person feels empowered and enabled to succeed, and a greater enrichment of the world we live in."
Vipen Sethi, chief executive officer, Landmark Group, said: "We are very optimistic about the road ahead in 2013 for Landmark Group. UAE's retail sector has been growing in leaps and bounds, making the nation one of the prime retail destinations of the world."
Wael El Behi, general manager, Ramada Downtown Dubai, said: "As we will be closing the 2012 with an occupancy level above 86 per cent, the forecast for 2013 will be 88 per cent due to more hotels, more events and more excitement in the destination. We are all set for another successful year."
Ibrahim Ajami, CEO of Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), said: "My hope is that the youth across our region will be inspired by technology and all the opportunities it enables and provides. I would also love to see a patent or a technology breakthrough that gets recognized across the world be developed in one of our Universities in the UAE in 2013."
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