The Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), which functions under the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), organized the Sharjah China Business Webinar as a component of its participation in the 11th China Offshore Summit, which has been held online this year.

Participating Chinese companies and investors were presented with exciting potential in Sharjah's increasing investment ecosystem, notably in healthcare, pharmaceutical manufacture, transport, and logistics, agritech, green tech, and advanced manufacturing sectors.

The webinar, organized in collaboration with the China Offshore firm, also emphasized Sharjah's competitive edge in delivering an exceptional development and expansion framework to China, as demonstrated by the extensive services provided by Invest in Sharjah.

Mohamed Juma Al Musharrkh, CEO of Sharjah FDI Office (Invest in Sharjah), Ali Saeed Buzenjal, Director of Digital Transformation at Sharjah Research Technology and Innovation Park (SRTIP), and Marwan Saleh Alichla, Head of Investment Promotion, Invest in Sharjah and Director of the Sharjah Investors Services Centre, were among the prominent speakers at the business webinar (Saeed). Matthew Sumner, MX Media Group's Director of Asia, mediated the discussion.

In welcoming the virtual meeting, Al Musharrkh highlighted that the UAE has evolved as China's top non-oil commercial partner in the Mena area since the inception of bilateral ties in 1984.

“Both China and the UAE tackled the consequences of the Coronavirus outbreak very well,” he added. The UAE has been open for business since June 2020. Our airports have weathered an extraordinary situation to continue functioning, and 73% of our population has now been immunized. These are among the reasons why we continue to be one of the most popular FDI locations across the nation and throughout the globe, as evidenced by the fact that FDI inflows to the UAE increased 44.2% in 2020 to $19.9 billion, amid the pandemic.”

“Invest in Sharjah continues to lead the emirate's endeavors with a solid plan to capitalize on the worldwide interest in Sharjah's capability.” Sharjah looks forward to strengthening economic and cultural ties with China in traditional and high-potential areas, as it is installed with world-class amenities to draw both new and established companies. “I would like to clarify that Sharjah is open for business, and we embrace new partnerships,” said the CEO of Invest In Sharjah.

Marwan Saleh Alichla, Head of Investment Promotion, Invest in Sharjah and Director of (Saeed), stated that there are already more than 594 Chinese businesses registered in Sharjah: “Sharjah had proven its endurance during the peak of the epidemic last year by massively expanding, adding 24 new ventures worth $220 million and generating 1,117 new jobs.”

“We have completed a post-pandemic investigation and recognized the following domains as most profitable to our Chinese investors: healthcare, with a particular emphasis on Sharjah Healthcare City; pharmaceutical production; mobility and logistics; advanced manufacturing; agritech, in which Sharjah has such a multitude of success stories; and EdTech, supported by Sharjah University City, one of the biggest in the UAE. Green technology is another promising industry in which Sharjah is a leader, with the emirate on track to become a zero-landfill emirate this year,” he noted.

As per Ali Saeed Buzinjal of SRTIP, the free zone's R&D techniques are built on the successful Chinese model. “On our initiatives, we actively interact with multiple sectors, notably academia, the public, and commercial sectors, to devise answers for current and prospective difficulties. As a research and development free environment, we provide specialized assistance to investors, existing enterprises, and startups through accelerator programs".

“Chinese investors may benefit from the SRTIP's quick access to crucial and logistical facilities in the emirate and also the UAE, and infrastructure that match international specifications to create an excellent and safe investment environment, in addition to ownership and complete tax exemption, giving significant prospects for industries and technical facilities,” he said.

Alichla emphasized Invest in Sharjah's premium services for entrepreneurs, including the one-of-a-kind Sharjah Investors Services Centre (Saeed) – a one-stop, single-window business hub that provides completely functional 360-degree government solutions to empower entrepreneurs to set up their business with absolute convenience in only 60 minutes; and Sharjah Investment Tracker, a plug-and-play service for investors.

The China Offshore Summit, held yearly by China Offshore, gathers together over 500 Chinese and foreign investors and financial intermediaries seeking tactical wealth management prospects and overseas investment opportunities in important and growing international markets.