Our History

WHO WE ARE

Starting from 1986 the CNA (Confederation of National Craftsmanship and Small Business) gives birth to a series of  activities in Dubai that are coordinated by the manager of the export section Mauro Marzocchi. One of these activities has been the participation and organization of a Fashion Festival, called Motexha. In 1992 and 1993 have been organized two expositions belonging to the Fashion sector in the Le Meridien Airport of Dubai and 30 small Italian business have taken part to them. From 1994 to 1997 several different small businesses participated to the Motexha Festival which took place again. The small businesses have been coordinated by CNA, which in 1998 shows a triennial project to Piemonte Region.

So, the activity of the actual Italian Industry and Commerce Office in UAE starts in Sharjah in 1999 as an Agreement of program of the Piemonte region- ICE. This is simply a showroom dedicated to the businesses of Piemonte, that has been called “Italy in Emirates”. In 2002 and 2003 the above mentioned project has been enlarged to the national level and it has been partially subsidized by the “Agreement of Sector CNA-MiSE (Ministry of the Economic Development)”. In 2004 it changed its social reason and consequently the Italian Chamber of Commerce in UAE has been founded. In addition, in the Governing Body takes a seat even Confartigianato, following the main founder CNA. However, the local legislation does not allow the denomination of Italian Chamber of Commerce so that the name Italian Industry and Chamber Office in UAE has been applied.

In 2007 the IICUAE starts the process of recognition by the Italian Government as Italian Chamber of Commerce in foreign countries (CCIE), which ends on 17th November 2009 with the achievement of the title. After this approval, the Association can be officially defined as Italian Chamber of Commerce in UAE.

In 2010 the Ministry of the Economic Development (MiSE), after a general consultation with the Italian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, elects by official approval Mauro Marzocchi as the General Secretary of the Chamber.

In 2013 “Federpesca” takes a seat in the Board of Directors as official representative of the Conf-industrial System. Among the initiatives with great prestige of the Chamber it must be highlighted the creation of “Italian Lifestyle in the Emirates”, which has been the only complete Italian Festival in the Countries of the Gulf with 160 participant businesses (Sharjah, 2004-2007), and the “Italian Festival Weeks in the UAE” – that now has reached twelve editions- which is based on a calendar of more than 40 cultural and economic activities that take place every November in EAU. The Italian Chamber has received the power by the President of the Republic to assign an important and prestigious award to the Italian business that has particularly distinguished itself in the development of the relationship between the two Countries at hand. In 2018 the above-mentioned award has been given to MAPEI Construction Chemical in Dubai.

From 15 June 2010 to 31 December 2016, the Chamber has welcomed the “Antenna ENIT” (National Agency of Tourism). In 2015 the Chamber moves to Dubai and the new Office has been inaugurated in presence of the Ministry of Economics Emirate person Sultan Al Mansouri, the Ambassador Giorgio Starace, the Consul Giovanni Favilli and the Director of ICE Dubai.

During the years the Chamber strengths its image in the UAE thanks to the several activities played in favor of the Italian companies that operate in UAE or/and those that are based in Italy but that want to enter the local market.

The initiatives developed in the territory are numerous and these have allowed to increase the number of persons working for the Chamber, who were only two at the beginning but have passed to 21 in 2022, and to enlarge the spaces to use in the office to 50% in September 2021.

In addition to the initiatives explained above, it must mention also the “Gulf International Congress”, a “historic” initiative dedicated to Italian lawyers and accountants. In 2022, the “Gulf International Congress” has reached the 10th edition. Other multiple collective and individual missions have been developed and organized, many participations to festivals of different kinds like “Big 5”, “Speciality Food”, “Jewellery”, “Gem & Technology Dubai”  and “Idex” have taken place too. It must be mentioned even the different Seminars that are generally hold via Web, which are dedicated to the Italian businesses and professionals.

With the arrival of Covid-19 in 2020 the Italian Industry and Commerce Office in UAE has modified and changed the method of assistance that it generally provides to the businesses and so, it started to launch several projects via Web. These projects had an immediate success thanks to the interest showed by the companies operating in Italy. Moreover, thanks to this new approach based on the Web, the Chamber has expanded its activity in the Countries of the Gulf.

During the years 2020-2022 these projects have been developed: “Made in Italy in the Gulf Countries”, “Italian Food & Beverage in the Gulf”, “Italian Jewellery”, “Fashion & Beauty in the Gulf”, “Italian Home Interior & Infrastructure-MEP-In the Gulf Countries” and “Italian Yellow Directory in the Gulf”.

In 2021, based on the official dates of “Assocamerestero”, the Chamber has assisted 971 Italian Companies.

Last but not least, it is important to mention the Presidents that have strongly contributed and are still contributing to the development of the Italian Industry and Chamber Office in UAE. It should be started by the founder Piero Ricotti, followed by Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi and by the actual President Stefano Campagna, who took the role on the 21st March 2022. In the same day of the recognition of different people taking up new roles, Sheikh Mohammed bin Faisal Al Qassimi has been denoted the Honorary President of the Chamber.