United Arab Emirates as a gateway for Polish business to the Middle East

Poland is competing in the United Arab Emirates with the whole world. The success of Polish businesses in Dubai and other emirates, which are gateways to the entire Middle East, depends solely on the activity of Polish entrepreneurs.

• Business relations with the United Arab Emirates were discussed during the Poland-United Arab Emirates Economic Cooperation session at the European Economic Congress in Katowice.
• On 9 May, the United Arab Emirates opened its business representative office in Katowice. 
• When operating in the UAE, competition is not just limited to Western countries that invest there, but it also involves such global powers as China and India.

Poland has been recognised by the UAE authorities as one of the 10 most important directions for economic cooperation for the next 50 years. The Emirates have also been one of Poland’s key partners in the Arab world for years.

However, given the potential of both economies, Polish-Emirati trade, although growing (last year it was more than USD 1.6 billion), is not completely satisfactory.

Jakub Sławek, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the UAE, noted that Poland began strategic cooperation with the UAE three years ago, when an administrative and investment plan was developed at the government level. A cooperation with Katowice has been established, with 66 meetings to be held, which could result in quite a few contracts.

“Abu Dhabi provides first and foremost investment security, zero income tax rate. In addition, the UAE has 26 business zones that can be used by investors. The agreement with Poland gives us the opportunity to treat the UAE as a hub for investment in the Middle East. Last year alone, 11 Polish entrepreneurs registered in Abu Dhabi,” said Ali Husain Makki, Executive Director, Logistics & Trade Facilitation Sector, Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.

“We support those entrepreneurs who want to operate both locally on our market as well as expand onto global markets from the UAE,” added Ali Husain Makki.

Poland is just starting to expand onto the UAE market.

“It is natural for the UAE to exploit its wealth built on oil production, but it is worth noting that the UAE is seeking to base its economic potential on green energy solutions to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels – Poland will support these aspirations,” Andrzej Szejna, Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted.

“Poland’s potential is not yet being fully exploited in the context of cooperation with the United Arab Emirates, but we will learn to invest in this market,” added Andrzej Szejna.

Cooperation with the United Arab Emirates is being developed locally.

The success of the Silesian Province in cooperating with the United Arab Emirates is evidenced, for example, by the visit of 47 representatives of the UAE’s most important institutions, including investment funds, who came to Katowice at the invitation of the Upper Silesia Fund. It is worth noting that the Upper Silesia Fund also has an office in Dubai. “This provides an opportunity for entrepreneurs from the Upper Silesia region to cooperate with UAE partners on a daily basis,” noted Jakub Piątkowski, manager, Representative Office of the Silesian Province in Abu Dhabi.

“Important areas for Polish companies in the UAE are the pharmaceutical, food, industrial and tourism sectors,” Jakub Piątkowski stressed.

ArchiTube was one of the companies that entered the Emirati market in cooperation with the Upper Silesia Fund.

“Most surveying companies tend to operate in geographically close locations. However, ArchiTube has broken through this approach and, in collaboration with its Emirati partner Sergas, has started operations in the UAE. As part of this collaboration, a contract has been obtained for the construction of gas installation in 26 buildings with a total area of 260,000 square metres. “By comparison, in Warsaw, all the office space built last year was 130 000 square metres,” noted Adam Grewenda, Vice-President of ArchiTube.

“When operating in the UAE, competition is not just limited to Western countries that invest there, but also involves such global powers as China and India,” Adam Grewenda concluded.

The business conducted with Gulf partners is based on building relationships

Diplomacy can also be built at the level of sports. Second-league sports club Stomil Olsztyn gained an Emirati investor, Stallion Sports Academy, at the beginning of the year. “What started it all, however, wasn’t business but rather cooperation between football academies,” stressed Michał Żukowski, Vice-President of PZPN Invest SA and chairman of the innovation committee.

“It is worth noting that business in the UAE is very relational and requires constant maintenance of contacts with Emirati partners,” stressed Michał Żukowski.

“The United Arab Emirates will officially open an economic cooperation office in Katowice on 9 May, which is expected to be the equivalent of the Dubai-based Upper Silesia Fund outpost,” Ambassador Jakub Sławek told the guests at the “Poland-United Arab Emirates Economic Cooperation” panel.

“Globalisation is no longer the domain of the Western world. The United Arab Emirates is one of these global centres,” concluded Jakub Slawek.