The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O'Keeffe TD, today begins a week-long trade mission to the Middle East with 45 Irish firms aimed at landing lucrative deals and creating jobs at home.The Enterprise Ireland trade mission to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates is the latest foreign trip led by the Government to boost exports and grow indigenous Irish firms.
The trade mission begins in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam in Saudi Arabia before moving on to Abu Dhabi in the UAE.
The 45 innovative Irish firms joining Minister O’Keeffe on the trade mission span a range of sectors including construction, engineering, information communications technology, education, finance and consulting.
Speaking before he left for the Middle East, Minister O'Keeffe described the trade mission as ‘an important opportunity to promote Irish firms and generate new business opportunities and jobs here at home’.
‘The Government’s overriding policy priority is the protection and creation of jobs. We will use this trade mission to help Irish firms to land deals with companies in the Middle East and showcase the high-quality innovative products and services produced by our indigenous enterprises. As well as that, we want to develop the political, economic and commercial ties between Ireland and Saudi Arabia and the UAE as part of efforts to capture a greater market share of the Middle-Eastern market and create jobs at home,’ said Minister O’Keeffe.
Uniquely, representatives from Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank will travel on the trade mission to get an insight into the challenges faced by Irish exporting firms and advise them of the business supports they can offer.
The Government’s new integrated plan to promote overseas trade, tourism and investment, ‘Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy’, identifies the Gulf region as an emerging market.
Despite the tough global trade climate last year, Irish exports to Saudi Arabia and the UAE were €400 million and €276 million respectively.
The UAE is a hub for business operations across the Middle East because of its location, strong air connections, liberal visa regime and increasingly pro-business environment.
More than 70 Irish firms are doing business in Saudi Arabia and 20 have a full-time market presence in the country. A similar number of Irish firms are doing business in the UAE and 55 have a presence in the market.
The Government has led successful Irish trade missions to the Gulf region each year since 1986.
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