The Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry Wednesday inaugurated a new office in Accra as part of ongoing efforts to promote Dubai as an international business hub and strengthen economic and trade ties with Ghana and the rest of the continent.

H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO, Dubai Chamber who was also leading a trade mission to Ghana officially opened the new office in the Ghanaian capital.

The Ghana office is the second office opened in Africa after the first was inaugurated in Ethiopia in 2013.

Mr. Hamad Buamim said, “The launch of this office is an important development in the expansion of Dubai Chamber’s footprint in Africa and sends a strong signal of our commitment to enhance ties both in Ghana and in the West Africa region.”

“I would like to thank our Ghanaian government and business partners, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, whose support and cooperation has enabled us to start a new era in Dubai and Ghana’s relationship,” he added.

The inauguration of the Accra office is a perpetuation of the Dubai Chamber’s strategy of exploring untapped markets in the world.

Ghana stands out as a beacon of safe investment in Sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to a strong GDP growth forecast and stable political environment conducive for business. With this office, Dubai businesses are expected to use Ghana as a gateway to expand their reach to 250 million consumers in the region.

As a world-class city, Dubai’s open door policy, its user-friendly corporate climate, infrastructural development, logistics and world-class banking and financial facilities will serve Ghana to strengthen its bilateral ties with businesses in the Middle East region and beyond.

“This new office will open up a wave of opportunities for Dubai businesses and their competitiveness to reach out to the West African region while facilitating Ghanaian enterprises to use Dubai as an ideal gateway for Ghanaian exports to the Middle East region, South East Asia and Europe”, H.E. Buamim said. 

Also speaking at the office inauguration, Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Minister for Trade and Industry, praised this development and stated that the new office is a manifestation of successful preceding trade and business forums and will help take the two countries’ bilateral relations to a higher level.

Dr. Garbrah added: “The opening of this office also reflects the commitment of the UAE and Ghana governments in enhancing trade ties.”

He mentioned that the total non-oil trade between the two partners rose to AED 8.9 billion in 2013.

The day after the office inauguration ceremony, a forum exploring synergies for economic partnerships between Dubai and Ghana was held at the Movenpick Hotel. The session was attended by various dignitaries including H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, H.E. Alhaji Yakubu, Consul General, Consulate of the Republic of Ghana. Hon. Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Minister of Trade and Industry, gave the keynote address.

Dubai and Ghana’s bilateral relationship has been ongoing with key milestones being the Africa Global Business Forum held in October 2014 in Dubai, and the Ghana Country Focus Briefing, which took place in June last year. The latter event was held in conjunction with the Ghana Consulate General and the Economist Intelligence Unit.