08 Feb A study on Italian business presented in the UAE

Studi e Ricerche per il Mezzogiorno, the research centre linked to the group Intesa Sanpaolo, has presented the study “Outlook – Italian business in the United Arab Emirates”.

This is the first scientific study on the Italian business situation in the United Arab Emirates and on the economic and industrial partnership between Italy and the UAE. This research is the result of complex statistical analysis and extensive fieldwork conducted last summer in the country by a team of Studi e Ricerche per il Mezzogiorno.

The study shows that the United Arab Emirates is the fifth country in the world in terms of international openness, with a foreign trade/GDP ratio equal to 163%, which makes it an ideal platform for re-exportation.

As revealed, 46.3% of the total amount of imports is re-exported, and this percentage increases to 70% if we take into account only the Free Trade Zones.

The study aims to provide the tools for seizing the major opportunities that, over the next few years, will continue to arise for Italian companies, especially given the growing interest of the UAE government in speeding up the diversification of the economy while focusing, in particular, on SMEs and technological innovation. Another key factor is the great impact of the expansion of the Suez Canal through the global hub of maritime transport, represented by Dubai and, more generally, by the overall port system of the UAE.