Dubai [UAE], November 25: The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), in collaboration with the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO), organised the Sharjah-Japan Business Forum to explore new prospects for trade and investment cooperation.
The forum aimed to deepen current partnerships between the two countries' business communities, showcase high-potential opportunities in advanced technology and industrial fields, and provide a direct networking platform for investors and entrepreneurs from both sides.
The event was attended by Mohammed Ahmed Amin Al Awadi, Director-General of SCCI; Takafumi Suzuki, Executive Vice-President of JETRO; and Imanishi Jun, Consul-General of Japan in Dubai.
The programme featured a set of structured bilateral meetings between investors from both countries. During these sessions, both sides highlighted available opportunities, identify new avenues for expanding investment cooperation, and discussed ways to establish new commercial partnerships. They also considered coordinated approaches to strengthening effective channels of communication between UAE-based investors and Japanese stakeholders.
Mohammed Al Awadi presented key growth indicators in UAE-Japan economic relations. He stated that the UAE is now Japan's leading trade partner for both exports and imports, capturing 52% of Japan's exports to GCC markets. Japan, in turn, ranks as the UAE's ninth-largest trading partner globally.
According to 2024 official data, total bilateral trade reached approximately USD 49.6 billion, including petroleum products, while non-oil trade amounted to around USD 17.5 billion. These figures reflect the strength of the economic relationship, the effectiveness of diversification strategies, and the consistent flow of high-value goods between the two markets.
For his part, Takafumi Suzuki voiced the Japanese delegation's appreciation for the Sharjah Chamber's role in hosting the forum, praising the emirate's advanced infrastructure and flexible regulatory environment which position Sharjah as an ideal destination for Japanese investments.
He underlined Japan's strong interest in the emirate's rising industrial and commercial landscape and confirmed that Japanese companies are eager to expand their regional operations from Sharjah and to capitalise on available investment opportunities. He noted that such expansion would strengthen cooperation in technology, industry, and trade, thereby supporting shared interests and advancing the economic growth of both markets.
During the forum, the Sharjah Chamber reaffirmed its commitment to deepening cooperation with its partners in both public and private sectors to facilitate the Japanese business community's access to investment opportunities in the emirate, with a specific focus on the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.
The Chamber also highlighted its efforts to connect Sharjah's innovation ecosystem with its counterparts in Japanese cities. It encouraged Japanese companies and entrepreneurs to invest in Sharjah, which serves as a strategic base for manufacturing and regional export operations targeting the Middle East and Africa.
Source: Emirates News Agency
