High-level minister attendance and future technologies at the 13^th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum

Inspiring technological innovations and business potentials with Arab countries were presented at the 13th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum, which was held on November 27, 2023 at the Haus der Wiener Wirtschaft in Vienna with over 200 participants attending.

The Forum was organized by the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) and the Vienna Chamber of Commerce (WKW), in cooperation with official institutions, diplomatic missions of Arab countries and international organizations, and focused on energy strategies and economic cooperation with Arab countries.

r-t-l: Dr. Alexander Biach, Vienna Economic Chamber; Eng. Omar Al-Rawi, City of Vienna Council;
Former Governor Hans Niessl; Form. Minister Herbert Scheibner; Mourad Beldjehem,
Chairman Alnaft Agency Algeria; Mr. Tareq Alnassar, Assistant Director-General

Speakers of the Opening Session were AACC President Former Minister H.E. Dr. Werner Fasslabend; the Deputy Managing Director of the Vienna Economic Chamber and Vienna Business Location Advocate Dr. Alexander Biach; Member of Viennese Parliament H.E. Eng. Omar Al-Rawi representing the City of Vienna; H.E. Mr. Hamad Alkaabi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates and Current President of the Arab Ambassadors Council in Austria; H.E. Mr. Tareq Alnassar, the Assistant Director-General of OPEC Fund for International Development; and AACC-Secretary General Eng. Mouddar Khouja, who was the moderator of the session.

l-t-r: Form. Min. Dr. Werner Fasslabend – Dr. Alexander Biach

l-t-r: Eng. Omar Al-Rawi – Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi

l-t-r: Mr. Tareq Alnassar – Eng. Mouddar Khouja

At the opening of the Forum, tribute was also paid to the current situation in the region with a minute of mourning for the numerous civilian victims, children and women, and a strong appeal for peace in the Holy Land.

Among the distinguished guests of honour were the Libyan Minister of Industry & Minerals H.E. Mr. Ahmed Abu Hisa, the Minister of Industry & Trade of Yemen H.E. Mr. Mohammed Al-Ashwal, and the Minister of Industry of Lebanon H.E. Mr. George Bouchikian, along with further delegates from Libya, Saudi-Arabia, Algerien, Jordan, Syria, Kuwait, Greece, Germany, Chile, Slovak Republic, Hungary, Austria and many more.     

Speeches: Libyan Minister of Industry & Minerals H.E. Ahmed Abu Hisa (left) &
Yemini Minister of Industry H.E. Mohammed Al-Ashwal (right)

l-t-r: Ambassador of Yemen HE Haitham Shoja’aadin; Ambassador of Lebanon H.E. Ibrahim Assaf;
Minister Mohammed Al-Ashwal, Yemen; Minister George Bouchikian, Lebanon;
Ambassador Abdulaziz Almikhlafi, Secretary General of Ghorfa

Chaired by Dr. Werner Fasslabend and Dr. Alexander Biach, two high-level workshops presented innovative approaches on renewable energy, investment potentials as well as success stories of Austrian-Arab business cooperation in the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia. In the presence of the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia H.E. Dr. Abdullah Tawlah and the Ambassador of the UAE H.E. Mr. Hamad Alkaabi, several official institutions and companies introduced their portfolios and opportunities for cooperation with Arab partners.

H.E. Ambassador Tawlah, Saudi-Arabia

Along with His Excellency Ambassador Alkaabi the workshop on the United Arab Emirates featured the following speakers: Dr. Markus Horcher, Director Sustainability & Public Affairs, Borealis AG; Dr. Andreas Harrer, Head of Subsurface Systems, Underground Energy Storage Technologies GmbH; DDDipl.Ing. Dr. Erwin Greiler, CEO, Royal Hydrogen LLC; and Mr. Hassan Al Hashemi, Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Department who joined the meeting online.

r-t-l: Dr. Alexander Biach – HE Ambassador Hamad Alkaabi – Dr. Andreas Harrer –
 DDDipl.-Ing. Dr. Erwin Greiler – Dr. Markus Horcher

The workshop on the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia introduced the following speakers: Mr. Rakan AlGaraawi, Associate International Office Director - Germany, Ministry of Investment, Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia; Eng. Slaiman A. Alhomidan, Commercial Attaché, Royal Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Germany; DI Dr. Mario Müller, Head of R & D, Emerald Horizon AG; Mr. Peter Lieber, CEO SparxSystems Software GmbH Europe, Country Coordinator Ecomai Project; and Mr. Ahmed Alomar, Business Development Manager - Energy Sector, Ministry of Investment, Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia who participated online.  

l-t-r: Form. Min. Dr. Werner Fasslabend – Peter Lieber – DI Dr. Mario Müller – Eng. Slaiman Alhomidan –
Mr. Rakan AlGaraawi – Eng. Mouddar Khouja – Mr. Ahmed Alrakhis, First Secretary at the
Embassy of Saudi-Arabia in Vienna

AACC-President Dr. Fasslabend, speaking also on behalf of the Arab President and Founder of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce H.E. Mr. Nabil Kuzbari, emphasized the importance of respectful and open cooperation at both, the global and economic level.

Opening of the Exhibition Area

The event also included an exhibition area with country-specific displays from the Arab embassies of Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Saudi-Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. They presented handicrafts, culinary delicacies and information brochures, and provided the numerous visitors with a colourful insight into their culture and history, as well as interesting business potentials of their countries.

After the Forum, guests and visitors engaged in active networking and exchange of ideas, and enjoyed an exquisite oriental lunch buffet, generously sponsored by OMV AG and Vimpex HandelsgmbH.

Photo Credits: AACC, WKW / Philipp Hutter, Florian Wieser

Visit the Photo Gallery to see more pictures from the event.

View the Photo Gallery of the 28th General Assembly & 29th Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce, held on 23 October 2019 in the Vienna City Hall.

View the photos of the GALA DINNER / HONOR AWARD for the Secretary General Eng. Mouddar KHouja, on 23 October 2019 in the Vienna City Hall.

View the photos of the FORUM / CONFERENCE held on 23 October 2019 in the Vienna City Hall.

View the photos of the Exhibition Area at the 11th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum & Exhibition held on 23 October 2019 in the Vienna City Hall.

AACC participates in the

 “1st Official Energy Conference and Exhibition” Convention

 in Šibenik, Croatia, 1-5 April 2019

(c) IDS

From 1-5 April 2019, the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce (AACC) participated in the “1st Official Energy Conference and Exhibition” convention in Šibenik, Croatia, organised by AACC member IDS Industrieservice + Anlagenbau GmbH, in cooperation with Regional Center for Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE), a cooperation partner of the AACC.

Focused on “Implementation of Modern Technologies in Maintenance of Thermal/Natural Gas Power Plants and Wind Farms”, this extra-ordinary event gathered around 150 experts and participants coming from all over the world, to present and learn about the most innovative turn key solutions on the industrial market to decrease air pollution and increase energy efficiency. Among the high-level participants were delegates from Arab countries like Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Yemen, and from Nigeria, Croatia, Romania, Germany, Albania, Austria, and many other countries.

The conference offered an outstanding approach to expertise, presentations and high-level discussions with experts and representatives from the public, scientific and private sector and provided ideal conditions for further cooperation, innovation and future projects between the stakeholders involved. The accompanying exhibition presented booths of selected companies and institutions, including an AACC representation stand.

In the Official and Welcoming Session, Mr. Drazan VRCA, CEO and Founder of IDS gave a warm welcome to the guests and marked this conference the highlight in the history of his company, which was founded almost 50 years ago. Velocity, trust, and sustainability, in addition to the implementation of new technologies and quick solutions - these were the key indicators identified by Mr. Thomas WEHRHEIM, COO of IDS, to mark the company’s success and advantage over other players in the same business sector.

As an Opening Speaker at the Official and Welcoming Session, AACC Secretary General Eng. Mouddar KHOUJA expressed his appreciation to the organizers for their hospitality and professional coordination of this event. He informed about the great potential for the implementation of renewable energy technologies in the Arab countries and identified the Arab market as not stable, but yet with an even greater and growing demand for alternative energy solutions.

Among the other high-level speakers at the opening and the following days were Mr. Ashraf KRAIDY, Planning and Development Director, RCREEE who gave a profound overview on the potential for sustainable energy investments in the Arab region; Mr. Andreas SCHWARZ from ILF Consulting Engineers, an Austrian based company, who spoke about energy efficiency as a motor of change, and many others.

In addition to the high-level expert presentations and discussions, the 4-day convention offered also a diversified side-program including a visit to the IDS factory, an exclusive Gala Dinner, a boat trip and other joint leisure activities for the delegates in the most beautiful town of Sibenik and its surroundings. The event was well-received and covered by the Croatian media and TV.

Links:

• IDS Industrieservice + Anlagenbau GmbH
• Regional Center for Energy and Energy Efficiency

On Wednesday, 27 February 2019, the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Austria and the Austrian Society of Engineers and Architects invited to an exclusive “Expert’s Round Table on the Reconstruction of the City of Mosul.

More than 70 high-ranking participants from the public and private sector from Iraq, Austria, and the international context followed the invitation to Vienna to discuss the reconstruction of areas and regions in Iraq and to find solutions in the form of presentations and an open dialogue.

Among the high-level guests were the Iraqi Vice-Minister for Environment, the head of the Iraqi reconstruction program REFAATO (in the ministerial rank), representatives of the EU Parliament, the Iraqi Parliament and the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, experts and representatives of relevant UN organizations, architects, experts, companies and journalists.

The Round Table meeting generated an excellent feedback and response from both, the participants and the media, and was described as a meeting that could “bear historical significance" and potential for the reconstruction of the Nineveh region and city of Mosul.

The two-day program of the high-level Iraqi delegation also included an official welcome of honour at the Vienna City Council, and a visit and tour through to the King Abdullah b. Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious & Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID). The delegation also visited the Seestadt Aspern, one of Europe's largest urban development projects; the waste incineration plant “Spittelau”; and Meixner Vermessungs ZT GmbH, an Austrian pioneer company specialised in future technologies for land surveying, laser scanning, photogrammetry, cultural heritage and 3D city models.

On 20 November 2018, the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Tunisia in Austria jointly organised the  "Economic Forum on Tunisia & B2B". 

The high-level speakers were:

• Kommerzialrat Nabil R. Kuzbari
  Arab President & Founder of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce
• H.E. Mr. Mohamed Mezghani
  Ambassador of the Republic of Tunisia
• H.E. Mr. Hatem Ferjani
  State Secretary, Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in charge of Economic Diplomacy
• Mag. Nella Hengstler
  Regional Manager Africa Middle East, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber
• Mrs. Safa Jennene Laabidi
  Director CEPEX Rotterdam
• Mag. Christian Rebernig
  Director of the Austrian Federal Association of Commercial Agents
  The role of commercial agents in trade and economy
• Mr. Jalel Tebib
  Manager of the Cologne office, The Foreign Investment Promotion Agency «FIPA-Tunisia».
• Dr. Martin Treml
  Director Africa, VAMED Engineering GmbH.
• Mr. Marwen Khannoussi
  Product Management, REALMIX Beverage GmbH.

The Forum was moderated by Dipl.-Ing. Mouddar Khouja, Secretary General of the Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce. 

The Forum & B2B received a very positive resonance and was attended by approx. 80 visitors, consisting of Their Excellencies Arab Ambassadors, AACC members, businessepeople and individual visitors.

The event was generously supported by the SO/Vienna Hotel. 

The 27th General Assembly of Members was held together with the 28th Meeting of Board of Directors at the SO/Vienna on 20 November 2018. 

The meetings were honoured by the attendance of Their Excellencies the Arab Ambassadors in Austria, representatives the Arab Diplomatic Corps, members of the Board of Directors and AACC members.

Gala Dinner on occasion of the 10th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum & Exhibition held on 1 October 2018, at the Vienna City Hall. 

The 10th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum & Exhibition took place in Vienna, organized by the AACC Austro-Arab Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the City of Vienna and the Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RECREEE). Under the general theme "Energy Transition - Urban Technology and Sustainable Cities", New Opportunities for International Cooperation and Partnerships, representatives from EU institutions, international organizations, funds, European and international financial institutions as well as ministers and high-ranking personalities from the Arab economy met representatives of the local economy, politics and business community. Participants included Nabil R. Kuzbari, Richard Schenz, Omar Al-Rawi, Mahdi Allak, Johannes Peterlik, Samir Koubaa, Michael Esterl and Li Yong, and many more.

Photo Credits:

• (c) Philipp Hutter / AACC
• (c) Marcos Aray / AACC

Photo credits:
(c) AACC, Spanish Riding School, Robert Cescutti, Andrea Kerssenbrock, Ambassador Haytham Shoja'addin

View the Photo Gallery of the 9th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum & Exhibition in Vienna here

View the Photo Gallery of the 8th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum & Exhibition in Vienna here

View the Photo Gallery of the 25th Anniversary / 7th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum & Exhibition here

View the Photo Gallery of 6th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum / International Conference in Vienna here

View the Photo Gallery of 5th Arab-Austrian Economic Forum and  Annual Dinner in Vienna here