On 20 March 2024, His Excellency Mr. Sorayut Chasombat, Ambassador, together with Ms. Nipa Nirannoot, Consul-General to Dubai and Northern Emirates, and Mr. Pitichai Ratananaka, Director, Thai Trade Center in Dubai, met with His Excellency Mr. Abdalla Sultan Al Owais, Chairman of Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI), to discuss opportunities to strengthen trade and investment cooperation between the two countries. The UAE is Thailand's largest trading partner in the middle east with bilateral trade value of 2 billion USD. Thailand focuses on making the UAE the hub of trade and investment to other GCC countries as well as other countries in the African region.
Both sides agreed that Thailand and the UAE, especially Sharjah, can increase trade cooperation in various areas; energy, tourism and gems and jewelries, especially by supporting young entrepreneurs and co-investment. Moreover, the meeting also discussed about the arrangement of the first Joint Business Council meeting, which is the result of the signing on the MoU on setting up the Thai-UAE Joint Business Council in 2023, to support Thai business. The first meeting will be hosted by the UAE side and both sides hope to arrange the said meeting within this year.
There are 15 – 20 Thai entrepreneurs in Sharjah, 2 Thai restaurants (4 locations) with Thai Select Award, and many Thai jewelers joining the region’s biggest gems and jewelries exhibition in Sharjah “Watch & Jewellery Middle East Show 2024” every year. Both sides hope that the number of Thai entrepreneurs and participants to exhibitions in Sharjah can increase, especially through the cooperation with SCCI.