BIG opportunities await regional businesses in the Middle East and North America (MENA). Trade experts, along with the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AACCI), and the Global Victoria Trade Alliance hosted a roundtable meeting for local businesses in Shepparton Monday to share insights on export opportunities. The AACCI also arranged a bus tour to visit the nutritional’s producer, Noumi, and the irrigation solutions provider, Rubicon Water, which are already doing business in the MENA region.
At the roundtable, which was held at the Parklake Hotel, businesses in Greater Shepparton heard from Ian Halliday, Australia’s Consul-General to Dubai and the general manager of Austrade for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey. Also present was Todd Miller, the Incoming Trade and Investment Commissioner to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan, Bahrain and Oman, along with Cr Kim O’Keeffe, Mayor of the Greater Shepparton City Council.
“Council were extremely pleased to welcome the roundtable to Greater Shepparton to share our success and build partnerships with people around the globe,” said the Mayor.
The MENA region has seen significant growth in consumer demand across several industry sectors, presenting a wealth of opportunities to exporters. AACCI and special guests shared market insights and discussions around the geopolitical climate and highlighted key sectors around growth opportunities for Victorian regional businesses.
The Trade Alliance program (launched on September 7, 2021) is part of the Victorian Government’s $15.7M Export Recovery Package. The Alliance is working with exporters to improve their knowledge of topics such as the importance of cross-cultural awareness, requirements for halal certification, the growth of halal trade, the impact of Covid on freight and supply settings, and how businesses can access the help they need to succeed in their export journey.
“It was wonderful today to firstly visit the Rubicon Water and Noumi Limited facilities- magnificent local success stories for the Goulburn Valley. And then it was great to meet with and discuss the opportunities in the Middle East and Africa for food exporters and agribusiness specialists from the region at an industry roundtable. I would like to sincerely thank the Australian Arab Chamber of Commerce, Global Vic, Regional Development Vic and the City of Greater Shepparton for organising such a terrific day,” said the Consul-General Ian Halliday.
