"I believe in the future and in everything we can do together, Spain and the countries that make up the Arab League. It is not just about exports and imports, but also about geopolitics and security," said the secretary general of the Union of Chambers. of Arab Commerce.
The secretary general of the Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Khaled Hanafy, has pointed out the need to change the “mentality” that governs relations between Spain and the twenty-two countries that make up the Arab League, to evolve from a culture of “markets” to that of "strategic allies" in a context of global transformation. "I believe in the future and in everything we can do together, Spain and the countries that make up the Arab League. It is not just about exports and imports, but also about geopolitics and security"said the secretary general of the Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, while recalling that commercial relations with Spain only represent, for the League countries, 2,1% of the total volume of exchanges.
Khaled Hanafy has closed the Spain-Arab League business meeting, held on the occasion of his visit to Spain, at the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce of Spain and organized together with the Secretary of State for Commerce through ICEX Spain Export and Investment, CEOE and Mission of the League of Arab States in Madrid. Previously, the Chamber of Spain and the Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), with the aim of strengthening collaboration at all levels, between both organizations, as well as starting to work to create an Arab Chamber of Commerce in Spain, which promotes and strengthens relations between Spanish companies and the Arab world.
Also the president of the Chamber of Spain, José Luis Bonet, has emphasized the role of the Chambers of Commerce in bringing together the business communities of Spain and the countries of the Arab League, “we firmly believe that the relationship between Spain and the Arab world can only grow. "I want to reaffirm the commitment of our organizations to bring the respective business communities closer together, and I also wish to highlight public-private collaboration as the most effective way to consolidate our economic ties." “The double green and digital transition offers opportunities for business cooperation and investment in numerous interesting sectors such as energy, ICT, sustainable infrastructure, agri-food, water and sanitation, which we must take advantage of,” explained the president of the Chamber of Spain.
The president of CEOE International, Marta Blanco, highlighted the great representativeness of Spanish companies, which have carried out important projects in the Region, and the growing flows of bilateral trade and investment
Likewise, Hala Keyrouz, ambassador of Lebanon and dean of the Arab ambassadors in Spain, has highlighted that “geographically, Spain is the closest country to the countries that make up the Arab League, but we want to transfer that geographical proximity to a strategic proximity. Establish a new, more dynamic and intense relationship, of mutual benefit, and that promotes the development of the Arab world.” Keyrouz has pointed to the sectors that constitute “strong points to intensify exchanges: digitalization, ICTs, transport, health, or energy.” Malek Twal, ambassador of the Arab League in Spain, added that Spain's relationship with the Arab League countries focuses on “four or five states. The largest investments are made in these countries, while relations with the rest of the nations are practically insignificant. There are many areas and countries to discover and many sectors to invest in. We must expand the spectrum of commercial relations.”
For its part, Alicia Varela, general director of International Trade and Investments, has also stressed that "the countries that make up the Arab League are of special relevance for Spain and not only for commercial and economic interest, but also at a geopolitical and security level." For the general director of International Trade and Investment, “the Arab League is a group of countries with a series of undoubted attractions: abundant natural resources, high population growth rates, changes in the production model, reformist agendas, as well as regional integration initiatives, which open an important horizon of opportunities for both us and them.” According to the Director General of International Trade and Investment, there are numerous initiatives in priority areas of reform for the Arab League countries in which “our know-how could be useful to promote sustainable growth.”
La president of CEOE International, Marta Blanco, highlighted the great representation of Spanish companies, which have carried out important projects in the Region, and the growing flows of bilateral trade and investment. Likewise, he highlighted the complementarity of our economies, which has allowed us to integrate the value chains of our countries in sectors such as automobiles or textiles. On the other hand, he stressed that Spain presents great opportunities for collaboration within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan in digitalization and green transition and that it represents a gateway to other regions such as Latin America. Lastly, he emphasized the importance of building a common agenda through initiatives such as the MENA – OECD Business Advisory Council, co-chaired by CEOE, which gives the private sector greater influence in the reforms of the legislative framework in the region and promotes public-private dialogue.
The event also hosted a round table, moderated by Jaime Montalvo, International Director of the Chamber of Spain; focused on B2B cooperation and joint business opportunities, and in which, together with Malek Twal, Luis Rodríguez Llopis, president of the Spain-Saudi Arabia business council, participated; and Luis de Lope, president of the Spain-Egypt business council.
