Opportunities for industrial clusters in the UAE will be discussed at the panel session of Business Russia in the framework of the Russian SME Forum on the ''zero day'' of SPIEF-2023

On June 14, 2023, in the framework of the Russian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Forum, which will be held on the ''zero day'' of the XXVI St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Business Russia will hold a panel session "Industrial clusters in the UAE: new opportunities for Russian exporters". The Business Ambassador of Business Russia to the UAE Maksim Zagornov will moderate the discussion.

In the current realities of external sanction pressure, placing production facilities in special free zones operating in friendly countries will open new opportunities for the development of Russian non-resource non-energy exports. Such zones have the necessary infrastructure and provide residents with a certain set of preferences. In this context, proposals of the largest free zones of the UAE, specializing in the support of manufacturing companies, such as KEZAD, RAKEZ, Masdar City, SAIF ZONE, etc., seem to be the most attractive. 

It is also important to take into account that the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia has developed mechanisms to support the localization of domestic companies in friendly countries, providing for the possibility of preferential financing of projects aimed at supporting production in foreign countries, subsidizing the costs of purchasing and delivering products, renting production and storage facilities. 

How can Russian business set up new production facilities in the UAE? What are the hurdles and how to overcome them? What additional preferences are the UAE free zones ready to provide to Russian residents? It is not difficult to register in a free zone, but what are the next steps of Russian business in the Emirati market? Why are Russian clusters being formed within free zones and why is it important to "stick together"? These questions will be answered by the participants of the panel session "Industrial clusters in the UAE: new opportunities for Russian exporters".

It is expected that the event will be attended by representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the State Development Corporation VEB.RF, the Russian Export Center, Russian business, the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Russia, as well as a number of leading free zones of the UAE. The Business Ambassador of Business Russia to the UAE Maksim Zagornov will moderate the session. 

The event will take place on June 14 in St. Petersburg at Expoforum Convention and Exhibition Centre, Conference Hall D1 (D zone), 64 Peterburgskoye Highway, b.1. Beginning - at 11:15 a.m., welcome reception – at 10:40 a.m. Simultaneous Russian-English and Russian-Arabic translation will be provided. 

In-person participation is only possible for persons accredited to the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum 2023. There will also be a live broadcast of the Business Russia panel session on the SPIEF-2023 website - https://forumspb.com/?lang=ru 

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is one of the largest business events in Russia. Since its inception, the Forum has gained the status of a leading international platform for discussing key issues of the global economic agenda and exchanging world best practices and competencies to ensure sustainable development. 

This year, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum will be held from June 14 to 17, 2023 in St. Petersburg. The United Arab Emirates will be the guest country of SPIEF-2023.

Telegram channel of Maksim Zagornov, Business Ambassador of Business Russia to the UAE (Russia-UAE Trade House (https://t.me/zagornovambassadoruae)) will cover the event.