Pro IQRA News Updates. 
DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 10th May, 2023) The Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, one of the three chambers operating under Dubai Chambers, has welcomed a large delegation of senior business leaders from Palestine along with 21 representatives of start-ups for the first ever business matching meeting between Dubai and Palestine.
The trade mission from Palestine had one of the highest number of bilateral meetings, with a total of 237 meetings organized and an average of ten per delegate.
Attendees at the event included Hashim Shawa, Chairman of the Bank of Palestine Group; Linda Tarzi, Board Member at Bank of Palestine Group, Kamel Husseini, Chief Strategic Relations & Engagement Officer for Bank of Palestine; and Rateb Rabi, Executive Director of the Intersect Innovation Hub (IIH).
The guests led a delegation of representatives from 21 Palestinian startups, eager to visit Dubai to learn more about the Middle East’s most vibrant digital economy.
The event provided valuable insights on how to start a digital-first business in Dubai, as well as creating opportunities to explore trade deals with like-minded Dubai companies and discover the benefits of Dubai’s world-class investment environment.
Mohammad Ali Rashed Lootah, President and CEO of Dubai Chambers, said: “Today’s event underscores our commitment as a Chamber to not only attract and encourage foreign start-ups to trade with our members and businesses in Dubai, but also to enable them to understand what attracts international players to our city We have a mandate – backed by several government strategies including the Digital Economy Strategy, the Metaverse Strategy and the D33 Economic Agenda – to help international start-ups gain a foothold in Dubai and reap the full benefits with a truly 21st century economy.
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Lootah also confirmed Dubai’s commitment to find and support 30 unicorn start-ups – young companies valued at more than $1 billion – by 2033, noting that the city’s 20-year-old startup ecosystem has spawned half a dozen unicorns so far.
The meeting took place at the Dubai Chamber headquarters and featured a presentation by Hashim Shawa, who provided an overview of the Bank of Palestine Group.
Shawa expressed his satisfaction with the bank’s partnership with Dubai Chambers and emphasized the strong interest among startups in Palestine to expand to the region.
He noted that Dubai is the natural platform for these companies to launch their operations in the region and the world, especially for the Palestinian youth who possess advanced capabilities and a strong spirit of creativity.
This was followed by an open discussion, during which the Palestinian start-ups had the opportunity to have their questions answered on a variety of topics.
The visiting delegation included start-ups across a variety of sectors, including transport services, education, construction, technology and real estate, energy, software solutions, e-commerce and retail, ERP solutions, AI and financial solutions, and agriculture and farming.
Delegates also learned more about Dubai’s extremely favorable business environment, from investment to ease of installation and accommodation. Dubai Chambers underlined the UAE economy’s continued success in bucking global economic trends, with most analysts agreeing on a forecast of 3-4 percent growth in national GDP this year.
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