We enhance growth and development and improve access between the MENA

and EU market for businesses

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The Network is an alliance of the leading Business Member

Organizations (BMOs) from the MENA region and the EU

” Having leading business membership organizations in the

region as members, the AE-Network is in a unique position to address growth challeng-

es and seize the immense unexplored opportunities for trade that exist in our region

and with the EU

Hiba Abu Taleb, Head of AE Secretariat

The objective of the network is to enhance private sector growth

through public-private dialogue, B2B activities, knowledge sharing,

business service development, and policy advocacy, aimed at

improving the general business environment in and between the MENA

region and the EU

TRADE

Trade and cross border investment plays a key role i n e s t a b l i s h i n g t h e foundation for a sustainable and growing economy.

The Network works actively to:

Facilitate investments between AE member countries Facilitate B2B, import/export and JV opportunities for AE member countries

POLICY WORK

Protectionism and high barriers to trade, both formal and informal, is often considered a prime constraint to economic growth.

The Network works actively to:

Identify and address trade barriers and non-trade barriers through individual and joint policy advocacy Ensure that the reduction of trade barriers are mutually beneficial and mitigates beggar-thy-neighbor practices

KNOWLEDGE SHARING

To address the future chal-lenges, knowledge sharing is key among members of the network.

The Network works actively to:

Share best practices on pro-viding private sector growth from a BMO perspective Build common project consor-tia for development projects and extend network and busi-ness relations between the members Create joint delegations, exhibitions and seminars Share market intelligence to increase FDI and inform members on new laws and regulations

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The network’s B2B Platform will allow

member organizations to provide members

with the much needed connections not only

across the region but also across the EU –

A true valuable addition to our services!

Ahmad Kamal, Manager, ECO/FEI

”

THE THREE PILLARS OF THE NETWORK

“Policy advocacy is a result of a strong co-ordination and co-operation between members, a possibility facilitated by the existence of this network”.

Basil Al Awami, Foreign Affairs Manager,

Federation of GCC Chambers

”

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THE MOROCCAN JEWELRY MARKET: With the assistance of the AE-network and in particular

the AE member in Morocco, CGEM, one of the largest Scandinavian jewelry companies was able to get valuable information on market regulation (imports fees and challenges), structure and size of retail and the jewelry market in Morocco, the volume of E-commerce, country logistics and potential partners.

TRADE AND B2B FACILITATION

PALESTINIAN PRODUCTS IN THE GULF: Federation of Palestinian Chambers of Commerce,

Industry and Agriculture (FPCCIA) initiated a project to promote Palestinian products in the Gulf States. With help from Kuwait Chamber of CI and contacts in the AE network, FPCCIA organized the second PIF from the 8-11 April, 2015. 67 companies representing different sectors displayed Palestinian products to the Kuwaiti market resulting in direct sales exceeding USD 2 Million.

OUTPUTS

EDUCATING FOR THE EGYPTIAN CEMENT INDUSTRY: Aiming to educate and create the

future generation of specialized engineers for the Egyptian cement industry, FLSmidth, an internation-al cement company, has launched a joint program with Helwan University in Egypt. The AE Network (Federation of Egyptian Industries and Confederation of Danish Industry) arranged the initial contact and meetings between the involved parties including FLSmidth, the Egyptian Chamber of Building Materials Industries and the Helwan University. The project has meant qualified engineers are now being educated and certified – not only for FLS, but for the entire Egyptian cement industry.

Workshop in Copenhagen March 2015

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OUTPUTS

PUBLICATIONS

MENA BENCHMARKING REPORT 2014 is a first of its kind benchmark of

the business environment in the MENA region, which serves as a solid tool for evidence-based policy advocacy by the respective business membership organiza-tions. The report focuses on the enhancement of the business environment and performance of SMEs in the region. It contains a macroeconomic analysis of MENA countries, an overview of SME performance in the region and a Business Environment Index, created specifically for this report.

THE SME BEST PRACTICE CATALOGUE is a collection of initiatives and

services from BMOs across the MENA Region that serves as examples of successful programs aimed at supporting SMEs. The aim of this catalogue is to disseminate information about success stories and practices for future local programs with known impact.

GUIDE TO INTERNATIONAL SERVICES is a publication prepared exclu-

sively for the BMOs in order to provide a general overview of selected interna-tional business services and relevant market tools. The detailed toolbox provide an overview in services such as market selection, market analysis, how to struc-ture a business plan and partner selection.

ABOUT

The ARAB-EU Business Facilitation Network is an alliance of the leading Business Membership

Organizations (BMOs) from the MENA region, created by 15 founding partners in 2010.

The purpose of the Network is to create a platform from which business associations from the region

can discuss the challenges for businesses and identify shared solutions and policy recommendations.

A specific emphasis is on improving access to the EU market for businesses in the region.

The Network will contribute to the creation of a more enabling environment for the private sector in

the region for the benefit of growth and development in general. In 2015 a regional secretariat was

established in Amman, Jordan. The secretariat is hosted by the Jordanian partner, Jordan Chamber

of Industry.

The participating BMOs have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work strategically

together, promoting relevant policy issues within and between their respective countries and inter-

nationally. Each year the Network gathers at three to four working group meetings.

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NETWORK ACTIVITIES

Several times a year the participants meet to discuss the outcomes and

prospects of the projects in the AE-Network. Working group sessions

and meetings have taken place on locations such as Cairo,

Copenhagen, Amman, Marrakech, Sharjah and Doha. Besides working

towards joint policy advocacy strategies, the network has also been

present for relevant conferences such as the SME Regional

Conference in Amman in 2014, Forum des Entrepreneurs Maghrébins

in Marrakech in 2014, the MENA-EU Business Salon in Sharjah in

2013, and DI Annual Summit in 2013 and 2014.

” Knowledge sharing is the strongest value of this net-

work. We learn from each other’s experiences and actives

and co-develop opportunities for future business endeavors.

Mme. Ouided Bouchamaoui, President, UTICA

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FGCCC

The Federation of GCC Chambers (FGCCC)

ALGERIA

Forum des Chefs des Entreprises (FCE)

BAHRAIN

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI)

EGYPT

Federation of Egyptian Industries (FEI)

JORDAN

Jordan Chamber of Industry

KUWAIT

Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI)

LEBANON

Association of Lebanese Industrialists (ALI)

LIBYA

Libyan Businessmen Council (LBC)

MOROCCO

Confédération Générale des Entreprises du Maroc (CGEM)

OMAN

Oman Chambers of Commerce and Industry (OCCI)

PALESTINE

Federation of Palestinian chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture (FPCCIA)

SAUDI ARABIA

Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC)

SYRIA

Damascus Chamber of Industry (DCI)

TUNISIA

Union Tunisienne de l’Industrie, du Commerce et de l’ Artisant (UTICA)

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Federation of UAE Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FCCIUAE)

QATAR

Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI)

DENMARK

Confederation of Danish Industry (DI)

FOUNDING BMO’S HOW TO JOIN

If you wish to join or get in

contact with the AE-Network,

do not hesitate to contact the

AE Secretariat.

Hiba Abu Taleb

Head of AE Secretariat

Direct:

009624642649 ext. 291

Mobile:

00962777414025

E-mail:

hba.abutaleb@jci.org.jo

www.ae-network.com