A high-level business delegation from the UAE, led by Minister of State, Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, visited Finland today to strengthen ties between the two nations.
The team of government, business and Expo 2020 Dubai officials met with Juha Sipila, Prime Minister of Finland, and Mika Lintila, Finland’s Minister of Economic Affairs.
Dr. Al Jaber was joined in Finland by, among others, Majid Al Ghurair, Chairman of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, DCCI, Hassan Al Hashimy (DCCI), representatives from Etisalat, Emirates NBD, RTA, DEWA and Masdar, plus senior members of the Expo 2020 Dubai executive team.
Dr. Al Jaber discussed with Finland government officials ways of enhancing the already strong trade relations between the two countries, as well as promoting their common vision for advancing the global development agenda. Finland and the UAE are close trade partners. The countries’ total bilateral foreign non-oil trade for 2015 was US$440 million (EUR 396 million).
Dr. Al Jaber said, "The UAE and Finland enjoy close business and cultural links based on shared values. I am confident that today’s meetings with Finnish government and industry leaders will deepen our relations and lead to practical results. I am also very hopeful that Finland will participate in Expo 2020 Dubai, as it will provides an ideal platform for Finland to further expand business and development opportunities with the UAE and third countries."
The UAE delegation also attended the UAE-Finland Business Forum moderated by Finpro, the body that promotes Finnish SMEs abroad. The forum included sessions on how Finnish companies can do business in the UAE, another on the ‘Finnish Roadmap to Circular Economy’ and a session on Expo 2020 Dubai subthemes of Mobility, Opportunity and Sustainability from a private sector perspective.
Finland has a history of participating in World Expos, most recently at Expo 2010 Shanghai, where the Finnish pavilion showcased the country’s culture and environment. It was ecologically built and featured a large video installation designed by artist Jaana Partanen and architect Heikki Lamusuo as well as a unique elevator called ‘Lantern’, specially designed by KONE.
The trip follows a visit to the UAE in January by Kai Mykkanen, Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, along with a business delegation. The 20 companies that took part in the Team Finland visit mainly represented the energy and cleantech sectors, as well as smart building. The visit was aimed at promoting bilateral relations between Finland and the United Arab Emirates, especially in commerce and finance.
The UAE is a popular destination for Finnish tourists, with more than 20,000 Finns visiting the country every year. There are also a number of Finnish companies registered at the Ministry of Economy, as well as about 20 dealerships for more than 500 Finnish trademarks.
The World Expo will be the ideal platform for Finland to connect with the world. Expo 2020 Dubai expects to bring together more than 200 participants, including nations, corporations, NGOs, academic institutions and multilateral organisations. Countries can highlight their achievements, share knowledge, win investment, forge trade agreements, attract tourism, build new partnerships and promote international cooperation.
It will be an opportunity to display the best of Finnish exports to a huge audience, not least from the Middle East Africa and South Asia, MEASA, region, which includes 72 countries with a combined population of nearly three billion people and a total GDP of US$6 trillion.
Small and medium-sized enterprises, SMEs, have also been earmarked for particular focus with 20 percent of the Expo overall budget, equating to around US$1.6 billion (EUR 1.44 billion), set aside for contracts for them.
Finnish businesses can also take advantage of a procurement process that is based on three principles: simplicity, transparency and inclusivity. Anyone from around the world can participate in the tendering process with some 15,000 companies from 123 countries already registered on the procurement site. This year alone, contracts totalling in excess of US$3 billion (EUR 2.7 billion) will be awarded by Expo.
The visit to Finland is the second of a three-part tour by the UAE delegation to key Nordic trading partners. The others are Norway on 22nd May and Denmark on 24th May.

Source: WAM