(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Pakistan Business Council Sharjah has been launched under the umbrella of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry. This will play a key role in organising exhibitions and trade shows of Pakistani products in order to boost trade between the UAE and Pakistan.

The Council, which has over 100 members, will provide an opportunity for Pakistani entrepreneurs to promote their businesses across the country, expand into regional markets, and dive into joint ventures including conferences, trade shows, and delegate exchanges.

“Sharjah chamber is always keen to bring new initiatives that connect private and government sectors. One of the new initiatives is to establish the business councils. Today, we launched the Pakistan Business Council here in Sharjah. Pakistani private sector in Sharjah is booming and we have a lot of sectors where the Pakistani community has invested,” said Fatema Khalifa Al Muqarrab, director of the International Relations Department at the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

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“We are working with the Pakistani Business Council to hold exhibitions and trade missions' visits on a bilateral basis,” Al Muqarrab told Khaleej Times in an interview on the sidelines of the launch of the Council.

Pakistan Business Council's two chapters are already operating in Dubai and Abu Dhabi to promote bilateral trade.

Dr SM Tahir, president of the Pakistan Business Council, said there are a good number of Pakistani businesses that have a strong presence in Sharjah.

Photo: Supplied

“Sharjah is a big city in the UAE, so we saw a need to represent our community in the emirate. To promote our businesses, there was a need for a platform, so we launched the Council. Sharjah is very strong in manufacturing sector and a lot of Pakistani businessmen have manufacturing facilities, so we decided to set up this platform. We have 100-plus members and the majority of them are business owners,” he added.

The Council was launched at SCCI headquarters by Abdallah Sultan Al Owais, chairman of the SCCI; Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, ambassador of Pakistan in the UAE; and Waleed Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, second vice chairman of the Sharjah Chamber, along with key members.

The non-oil trade between the UAE and Pakistan reached Dh25.7 billion in 2022, marking a 30 per cent increase compared to Dh19.8 billion in 2021. Additionally, the UAE is stepping up with a $10 billion investment in Pakistan's key economic sectors.

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