A visiting business delegation from Belgium held a highly engaging and interactive B2B meeting with Kuwaiti business people at Four Points by Sheraton on 5 March. The two-day event, which was organized by the Embassy of Belgium Trade Office in Kuwait, included representatives from 20 leading businesses specialized in various sectors including entertainment and events; construction equipment; architecture and urban planning; and legal services, from Belgium.
The Belgian Economic Delegation is in Kuwait to explore various prospects in the Kuwaiti market and meet with potential Kuwaiti business partners to establish contacts.
Representatives from various Kuwait companies attended the session seeking out business opportunities with the Belgian delegation.
Belgian Ambassador to Kuwait H.E. Piet Heirbaut graced the occasion to inaugurate the function. In his address to the audience, Belgian Ambassador Heirbaut said, “I am happy to inaugurate this event today. This is a very focused event to help Kuwait businesspeople to decide on venturing into new businesses in collaboration with representatives from the Belgian commerce and industry.”
He added, “Our business interests in Kuwait are growing and we have seen the interest of the Kuwaiti business community as well. It’s a good sign and Kuwait is a country that has a very bright vision about its future. And I believe that this is a very exciting time for all of us.”
“We are in full support of the business people who are here today and we hope for a very fruitful business venture with you all. Thank you for supporting Belgian companies,” he said.
Economic and Commercial Counsellor Sam Servaes, said that over the last two years there has been a steady growth in trade volume between Belgium and Kuwait, with bilateral trade going from US$220 million in 2016 to $259 million in 2017.
He welcomed the fact that in recent years a large number of young Kuwaitis were visiting Belgium as tourists. The embassy is aiming to boost tourism to Belgium and in this regard, a special tourism promotional campaign will be held next week, revealed Mr. Servaes.
With regards to the participation of Belgian companies in Kuwait’s developmental projects, Mr. Servaes said that currently, many Belgian companies were studying the new business laws and regulations that Kuwait recently implemented, especially the ones that allowed a foreign investor to own 100 percent of a company’s capital.
He added that the Kuwaiti investments in Belgium are evident in all of Belgium’s cities, most notably that of Kuwait Petroleum International, since most gas stations in Belgium belong to this company. Kuwaiti presence was also evident in the Belgian real estate sector where many Kuwaitis had invested over the years, said the Counsellor.
Read Today's News TODAY... on our Telegram Channel click here to join and receive all the latest updates t.me/thetimeskuwait
