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Introduction to the EU-GCC trade and business cooperation facility

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• EU member states and the GCC countries share longstanding historical relations and commontrade interests ranging from trade, energy and climate change to education, culture and communications. An EU-GCC FTA has been under negotiation for 20+ years.

• In 2010, the EU and GCC adopted the Joint Action Programme and laid out a roadmap for promoting these mutual interests and to reinforcing their trade cooperation.

• In 2014 the EU Commission contracted DI, BUSINESSEUROPE, VentureScout and FGCCC for a 3 year project period. The aim is to strengthen EU-GCC sustainable trade, investment and business cooperation through mutual understanding and dialogue.

Context of the project

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The main objectives of the project are:

1. Increase trade and investment opportunities through enhancing policy dialogues between the EU and GCC policy makers and business community.

2. Establish an EU-GCC trade and business facility that will forge closer links between the business communities in the EU and GCC.

3. Work to remove regulatory obstacles by introducing a wide range of demanddriven activities.

EU-GCC Business and Trade Cooperation Facility

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The main components of the project

5%

30% 30% 30%

5%

Planning andadministration

Policy Support Trainings Event and communication Evaluation

To achieve the project’s purpose, the following five pillars will be carried out with different weights with respect to resource and time allocation.

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Policy support and events (Component 1 and 3)

Provide technical expertiseand analyses for the work of

the EU-GCC trade and business facility

Policy dialogue that facilitatesexchange of information and best practices and identifiesbusiness advocacy positions

Identification of challengesand opportunities for

enhancing EU-GCC trade and business cooperation

A high-level advocacybusiness forum that creates a platform for policy dialogue

and cooperation

Experts from EU and GCC BMOs, academia, NGOs

and government

Members of EU and GCC business organisations

EU and GCC policy makers, BMOs, interest group

UK UAE

Rome

QTRBRX BHR

KSA

UAE Oman

BHR

BRX

UAE

QTR KUW

BRX

DK KSAOMA

BRX Dubai Doha

OMA

Muscat

BRXSharj

ah

Bahrain

Jeddah

Rome

UAE

Round tablemeetings

(1 day)

EU-GCC Business Forum

(2 days)

Policy advocacyworking groups (2-

3 days)

Technical workinggroups

(2-3 days)

EU and GCC business organisations, government

officials and NGOs

Objective

Stakeholders

Location

Event

GCCEU GCC EU GCCEU

Kick-off seminars

Formal launch of projectand overall discussion of

EU-GCC trade policy topics

Members of EU and GCC business organisations

EU GCCEU GCC

UAE OMABRXBRX, CPH

UAE

• The following activities will be aimed at EU and GCC business communities and chambers of commerce, governmentdepartments and agencies, think tanks, opinion leaders and the media.

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Objective

• To secure that the work of the policy working groups, the roundtables, the technical working groups etc. come into play at high level events, and to reach out to a large group of stakeholders and interested parties

• To maximize influence and press coverage

• To share information and expert recommendations available to businesses and policymakers to facilitate market access and business cooperation

• To improve mutual understanding of business practices and policy processes

Tentative Activities

• EU-GCC Business Forum in 2015 in UAE

• EU-GCC Business Forum in Brussels in 2016

• EU-GCC Business Forum in Oman in 2017

Expected Output

• Increased networking between EU and GCC companies, resulting in new and lasting trade and investment opportunities

• Increased visibility and projection of the EU in the GCC States through the organization of business and trade related events

• Business-to-business links for SMEs created

• High-end industries promoted

• EU-GCC LinkedIn group

• One policy report for “Unlocking the potential in the EU-GCC trade relations”

• Several business cases developed and published in bestpractice catalogue

EU-GCC Business Forums

A high level 2 day conference held on an annual basis

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Objective

• Informal meetings where members of the business communityin EU and GCC discuss relevant issues for enhancing EU-GCC trade and business cooperation

• The issues will be determined in the kickoff meetings held in 2014, and will be further discussed

Tentative Activities

• 11 roundtable meetings (15-25 participants at each roundtablemeeting) in EU and GCC

• The meetings will be half day sessions with key note on the topic followed by group discussions

Expected Output

• Identify new areas of cooperation, notably by enhancing politicaldialogue and undertaking initiatives aimed at creating new links between the respective business communities

• The output will be infused into the policy advocacy and technicalworking group work and impact of the project

• Improved mutual understanding of business practices and policy processes.

Round table meetings

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Objective

• Policy dialogue that facilitates exchange of information and bestpractices and identifies business advocacy positions

Tentative Activities

• First working group meeting to outline issue in detail

• Carry out research (or contract consultants to do so) on the chosen topics by business specialist and by voluntary group of participants

• Second working group meeting to discuss, develop, and draftcommon positions or national best practice

• Third working group meeting to decide and develop business advocacy campaigns

Expected Output:

• Issue brief, describing the topic and its effects on the private sector

• Impact assessment of reforms/changes concerning the chosentopic (Transport, SPS issues, energy sector, patents, IPR etc.)

• Position paper stating the recommendations to relevant stakeholders

• Outline and strategy for business advocacy campaigns

• EU-GCC business policy network established in BE

• EU-GCC policy committee established in the FGCCC

• EU-GCC benchmarking report (10-20 indicators)

Policy advocacy working groups-A 2 day event attended by EU and GCC business organisations, held on a quarterly basis

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Objective

• Provide technical expertise and analysis for the work of the EU-GCC trade and business facility

• regulatory framework

• for standardisation, trade and investment issues incl. market access, visa regulations etc.;

• Drafted Recommendations and analysis to the EU on ways to improve sustainable business

• cooperation.

Tentative activities

• 9 technical working group meetings (15-25 participants at eachtechnical working group meeting)

• Half-day sesessions with key note on the topics followed by groupdiscussions

Expected output

• A set of shared findings/input/recommendations

• Improved mutual understanding of business practices and policy processes

Topics

• How to develop stronger linkages between small and large enterprises

• How to harmonise trade flows

• How to develop clean-tech industries

• How to be more energy efficient

• How to build start-up eco systems in GCC

• How to have the EU support start-ups and young businessesentering the GCC

• How to get more young people and women into entrepreneurship in the GCC

• How to improve competitiveness and investments in non-energy rawmaterials, renewable, and/or clean energy

• How to create a better business environment for sustainableconstruction but also ICT, transport, water, waste management etc.

• How to improve sustainable business cooperation

• Others to be agreed upon

Technical working groups

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Engaging with 4 different types of events:

Entrepreneurship and SME training (Component 2)

The training

programme

consists a series

of premium

workshops and

match-making

events between

startups, SME’s

and corporates

in the EU and

the GCC

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Startup Challenge:

• We are hosting 6 semi-finals in each country, where 10 startups will

pitch and receive mentoring from high-profile mentors and

investors on their business.

• The final will take place in Shajar where 2 startups from each country

will be selected to pitch.

Locations

• Kuwait City, Kuwait

• Saudi Arabia

• Manama. Bahrain

• Doha, Qatar

• Oman

• Sharjah, UAE

Tentative Agenda:

1. Welcome to morning startups

2. First 5 startups pitch 5 min each followed by 2 min Q&A

3. The 5 startups receive mentoring. 30 min per session

4. Lunch

5. Welcome to afternoon startups

6. Last 5 startups pitch 5 min each, followed by 2 min Q&A

7. The 5 startups receive mentoring. 30 min per session

GCC Startup Challenge

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1 Day GCC Workshop:

• 100 startups & SME’s are invited to a one-day fast-track workshop

on how to start a business or expanding business into the GCC,

covering essential topics such as building a team, LEAN, customer

acquisition& legal aspects. Expert mentors and entrepreneurs will

share best-practices.

Locations

• London

• Berlin

• Rome

• Brussels

Tentative Agenda:

1. Welcome & introduction to doing business in the GCC

2. The opportunities in GCC: An overview of business opportunities

3. Representatives from GCC share best practices & experiences

4. Best practices from an EU company successful in the GCC

5. Expert tells about cultural & business differences

6. Market entry workshop with participants in groups

7. Groups present their results and share ideas

One-day GCC Workshop:

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Training Days

• We welcome 100 aspiring entrepreneurs who have an

interest in starting up a business. We will take you through

the basics of starting up a business from building a team,

scaling, to signing a term sheet with an investor.

Locations

Kuwait - Saudi - Bahrain - Qatar - Oman - Dubai - London -

Berlin - Rome - Brussels

• London

• Berlin

• Rome

• Brussels

.

Tentative Agenda

1. Welcome & introduction

2. Overview of what it takes to start your own business

3. Two startups share experiences

4. Building a Team

5. Training in Lean methodology

6. Customer Acquisition

7. Lawyer shares insights on the legal aspects

8. Investor shares experience on investments in startups

9. Workshops in groups

10. Groups present their results and share ideas with each other

Training Days

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Match making:

• Matching corporates & startups to create high level contacts

that can form the basis for expanding into the regions

(EU/GCC). An opportunity to gain access to real customers, to

find new suppliers, technology, collaboration partners or

investment opportunities.

Locations:

• Dubai

• London

Tentative Agenda:

1. Welcome & introduction

2. Key note: Building business relations between EU and GCC

companies

3. Selling to large corporates

4. Match-making: 15 min rotation meetups between corporates

and SME’s

5. Networking: Continuing the conversation

Match-making

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Thank you

www.eu-gcc.org

Niels Tanderup Kristensen

+45 21 244708

Nikt@di.dk