Emomali Rahmon, President of the Republic of Tajikistan, called on the business community in Dubai to visit his country and explore the investment opportunities available in its natural resources and other economic sectors, stressing his government's interest to sustain bilateral trade ties with Dubai.

The President's invitation was made during his visit to Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry yesterday leading a high-ranking official delegation that included more than 50 Tajikistani ministers, officials, diplomats, businessmen, investors and major economic figures.

The Tajikistan president and his delegation were received by Obaid Humaid Al Tayer, Chairman of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with a number of the chamber's board of directors, director general, heads of departments and a number of top businessmen and investors in Dubai.

Al Tayer welcomed the Tajikistan president stressing the importance of strengthening the diplomatic and economic relations between the two countries. He underlined the growing importance of Dubai which is turning into an important regional business hub and a centre that offers a gateway to markets of more than 2.2 billion consumers.



"The bilateral trade between Dubai and Tajikistan needs to be improved as Dubai's non-oil trade with Tajikistan reached Dh 47.7 million in 2006. The visit of the Tajikistan president to Dubai, and his participation in the First UAE-Tajikistan Business Forum organised by Dubai Chamber, would highly help increase the bilateral trade between the two countries, as well as the number of Tajikistan companies in the UAE," said Al Tayer.

He also spoke of the investment incentives in Dubai, which enjoys a free market and free tax economy that helped the emirate's total foreign non-oil trade to rise by 9.15 per cent reaching Dh523.5 billion in 2006, compared to Dh479.6 billion in 2005.

Al Tayer highlighted the crucial role played by Dubai Chamber in enhancing Dubai's strategic and economic importance through the services and facilities it provides to the business community. He expressed the chamber's readiness to extend help to Tajikistani businessmen in Dubai, asking the Tajikistani delegation to learn more about Dubai's investment opportunities and its mega projects.

Emomali Rahmon, President of Tajikistan Republic, praised the diplomatic and economic ties his country enjoys with Dubai and the UAE in general, and expressed his interest to strengthen these ties. He hailed the outstanding economic development of Dubai which sets itself as a model.

He pointed out that his visit aims at activating the bilateral economic relations between the two countries and attracting UAE investors to Tajikistan which offers them several encouraging business incentives.