American Business Council Dubai (AmCham) has relocated its headquarters to Dubai Multi Commodities Centre's (DMCC) Almas Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers (JLT).

DMCC is a leading flagship free zone and Government of Dubai Authority on commodities trade and enterprise.

The relocation is a testament to DMCC’s state-of-the-art infrastructure, world-class services, regulations and over 15,000 companies, of which 400 are American, and that make up the business community. AmCham’s employees join the 100,000 people living and working in the free zone, said a statement from the authority.

The relocation by AmCham Dubai was marked with a ribbon cutting ceremony on September 9, at Almas Tower. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman of DMCC, cut the ribbon alongside AmCham’s president, Anne Jafery and US Consul General Philip Frayne.

The ceremony was attended by representatives from Boeing, Pfizer, Emirates Airline, Emerson, FedEx, American Hospital and others.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, executive chairman, DMCC, said: “We are delighted to welcome the AmCham Dubai to Almas Tower and to the wider DMCC family.”

“This marks an exciting new chapter in the business relations between the UAE and the US,” he said.

“The US is an important market for us and continues to play a significant role in DMCC’s growth plans. Having AmCham under the same roof will further cement DMCC’s appeal to the international business community, and we look forward to welcoming many more American companies to DMCC,” he added.

AmCham Dubai was the first bilateral trade organisation established in the UAE under the local patronage of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry. It is also an affiliate of the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington DC. A total of approximately 500 members, AmCham Dubai represents the business and commercial interests of industries and corporations as well as American and Emirati professionals, working in a wide range of industries and businesses in the UAE.

Anne Jafery, President, AmCham Dubai, said: “We are excited to be joining DMCC’s vibrant free zone community of businesses. We view DMCC as a strategic relationship and look forward to the value-add that they bring to all their resident companies.”

“Our strength lies in coalescing the voice and presenting the issues and concerns of the American business community to our UAE colleagues and friends in the public and private sector. New bigger offices in Almas Tower is a testament to our commitment to furthering the trade and investment relationship between our nations,” Jafery said.

DMCC is committed to strengthening its ties with strategic partners around the world. Similarly, AmChams’ key mission is to strengthen commercial ties between the US and UAE.

US Consul General in Dubai Philip Frayne said: “I am extremely pleased to be here and look forward to building on the already strong ties that bind the US and the UAE.”

“For more than 35 years, the AmCham Dubai has been on the ground and a vital contributor to the robust trade and investment relationship that exists between our nations,” he said.

“The continued growth and development of this relationship will be a keen focus during my tenure here in the UAE and I am pleased to have AmCham Dubai as a collaborative partner in this endeavour. AmCham’s choice to locate their new office in DMCC is a strategic opportunity that will certainly highlight this venue for companies interested in establishing operations here in the region,” he added.

In 2017, the total trade between the UAE and US totalled $24.3 billion, with the US exporting $20 billion to the UAE and the UAE exporting roughly $4.3 billion worth of trade to the US, an increase of 44 per cent from 2015. The robust trade relationship between the two nations reflects the success of the UAE’s increasingly diverse economy, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service