A new ambitious ARAB-EU business facilitation network was successfully launched on September 16 and 17, 2010 in Brussels. The conference saw the gathering of CEOs from leading business membership organisations (BMOs) from the Gulf, Levant and North Africa - together with Danish Confederation of Industry (DI) – with the common ambition of building a new wide-ranging business membership organisation network. In addition to the launch of the network, participating organisations formally agreed upon a broader framework for future cooperation, by signing of a Memorandum of Understanding.
At the formal launch in Brussels, the participating organisations expressed a strong wish to share their experiences with colleagues from other countries in the region and to collaborate on finding common solutions to common challenges. Their understanding was that even though BMOs and their members all around the world operate in different national political and economic environments, they are often faced with similar challenges internationally and regionally. This message was underlined by Deputy Director General Kim Graugaard from DI when he in his welcome speech emphasised: “I am convinced that we have started a journey down a path that will prove very beneficial. We will be able to discuss and learn from colleagues representing leading business organisations and give our members access to interesting markets and new business opportunities”.
To ensure continues thrust in the project, and to avoid that critical momentum could be lost, the network will be implemented over a period of five years. It will be owned by the participating organizations, managed and facilitated by the Confederation of Danish Industry and supported by the Danish-Arab Partnership Programme, under the Danish Foreign Ministry.
For further information consult the homepage of the network at www.AE-network.com