Summary Report – 14th Arab-Hellenic Economic Forum – ARAB-HELLENIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & DEVELOPMENT

With resounding success, the Arab-Hellenic Chamber concluded its flagship event, the 14^th Arab-Hellenic Economic Forum, on November 27-28, at the Divani Caravel Hotel of Athens. The Forum focused on two main topics, construction and energy, and their subcategories. More than 175 Arab businessmen from 17 Arab countries participated in this event, along with 125 top executives representing 68 Greek companies.

The opening ceremony was introduced by Rashad Mabger, Secretary General of the Arab-Hellenic Chamber, followed by welcoming addresses by Harris Geronikolas, the Chairman of the Board, Suheil Hassib Sabbagh, Vice Chairman, and Prof. Dr. Khaled Hanafy, the Secretary General of the Union of Arab Chambers.

Then the floor was given to the guests of honor, Amb. Dr. Ali Ibrahim Al-Malki, Assistant Secretary General, Head of Economic Affairs at the League of Arab States, Egypt, H.E. Mohammed Sbihi, Deputy Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco in Greece, and Dimitris Anagnopoulos, Secretary General for Infrastructure at the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport of Greece. A special presentation by Aref Boualwan, Vice President, Information Systems & Technology | CISO, Consolidated Contractors Company, was delivered on CCC’s projects, activities, and global status.

It was an honor that the audience of the opening ceremony included Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman and CEO of Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Egypt. On this occasion, H.E. Omar Amer Yousef, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, delivered a speech to welcome the Admiral, elaborating on the impeccable relations between Egypt and Greece in all aspects, with a mention to the existing cooperation between SCA and Antipollution Egypt, a subsidiary of the Greek V Group, to transform the Suez Canal into the world’s first Green Canal.

The first day’s deliberations revolved around the theme “Building Tomorrow: Prospects for Arab-Greek Cooperation in the Construction Sector,” giving the chance to the speakers to present the Greek role in infrastructure projects in the Arab world, elaborating on the reconstruction efforts of some Arab countries. We were honored that the first speaker in this part was H.E. Wissam Khalifa Al Idrissi, Deputy Minister for Diwan Affairs and Maritime Transportation of Libya.

The second day was dedicated to energy and its role as a driver for growth. Top-executives presented the on-going joint Arab-Greek energy projects and future plans, with emphasis on sustainability. H.E. Christos Dermentzopoulos, Deputy Minister of Digital Governance of Greece, delivered a keynote address on the impact of AI and digitalization on energy and construction. Then the floor was given to Mrs Antonia Dimou, Special Advisor to the Deputy Minister, and Alternate Secretary of Program, New Democracy Party, who delivered a speech on behalf of Harry Theoharis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Greece, on the Arab-Greek cooperation. The deliberations ended with a roundtable discussion on Greece’s National Strategy and Prospects for Cooperation with the Arab World.

During the event, a plethora of private meetings took place between Arab businessmen and their Greek counterparts. It is now in the hands of the interested parties to pursue and follow up on their initial contacts.

In the evening of November 28^th, the Deputy Dean of the Arab Diplomatic Corps, and Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, H.E. Mohammed Sbihi, hosted a dinner party at the Moroccan residence, whose guests included Arab ambassadors, the Greek and Arab speakers of our Forum and other dignitaries. It was a remarkable evening, offering Moroccan delicacies and acquaintance with the Moroccan culture and, on this occasion, we would like to express our profound gratitude to Ambassador Sbihi for his generous gesture.

The Arab-Hellenic Chamber has once again raised the bar of its events and activities and it is utterly grateful to the business communities who trusted it and joined this gathering. We believe that the panel and roundtable discussions have laid the foundations for more and stronger partnerships between Greece and its Arab neighbours.

The Chamber seizes the opportunity to thank all the entities who granted their auspices, the contributors, professional associations and media and communication partners for their support and, of course, all the speakers, moderators, participants, and attendees who followed the proceedings, deliberated on the current affairs, and explored the potential for Arab-Greek synergies in the construction and energy sectors.