Jul 24, 2009

UAE-based Sahara Group, expands into Moroccan Market

Sahara Management and Marketing Consultancies, subsidiary of UAE-based Sahara Group, has signed a joint venture agreement with the Morocco based 'Arab Gulf Agency for Media and Communications for reciprocal representation rights, according to which Sahara will represent the Morocco-based agency in the UAE, and the latter will represent Sahara in Morocco.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr Fahad Ahmed Al Deeb, Vice President of Sahara Group, who signed the agreement with Mr Mohammed Ayat Bou Silham, Executive Manager of Arab Gulf Agency for Media and Communication”.

Both parties agreed that Sahara will commence a promotional campaign for the second edition of the Gulf Investments Forum, scheduled to be held in Rabat on 19-20 November 2009. Participants in the forum will come together to discuss existing opportunities in Morocco's industrial, technology, real estate, tourism and energy sectors.

The forum aims to encourage GCC firms and businessmen to enter the Moroccan market, which presents untapped opportunities in various economic sectors, particularly in light of the special incentives offered by Moroccan government to Arab investors. This has enhanced the country's appeal to Arab investment, particularly GCC capital, which has been injected into Morocco's vibrant market over the last few years. But the value of the relatively modest Arab investment in Morocco accounts for only ten percent of total foreign investment, and is restricted to the tourism and real estate sectors.

The amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) pumped into Morocco in 2006 was estimated at $25bn, according to official statistics issued by the Office Des Changes, with French investors leading the way, followed by their Spanish counterparts. The industrial sector attracted 36% of total foreign investment, followed by the tourism and real estate sectors with 32 percent and 16%, respectively.

Commenting on the agreement, Mr Al Deeb said: “Morocco enjoys one of the region's largest markets in terms of its appeal to foreign investors. Today, we are witnessing competition among businessmen and firms looking to enter this market and capture a slice of its diverse investment opportunities. This urged us as a leading management and marketing consultancy firm to be present in this market and offer our media, marketing and management services to potential clients."

“Arab Gulf Agency for Media and Communication is an ideal partner that is well positioned to represent us in the Moroccan market, due to their broad experience in the market, and their quality customer service. Sahara, in return, will extend all possible support to make this agreement a success”.

Mr Silham said: “We are delighted to join hands with one of the largest management and marketing consultancies firms in the UAE and the region. We are confident that this will open new vistas for our company in the GCC region, in a way that will serve the interests of both firms.”

“We are currently focusing our efforts on the 2nd Gulf Investments Forum, and we are confident that Sahara will offer the most reliable services to reach the largest segment of interested investors. The forum is supported by the Moroccan government and has drawn the attention of public and private sector firms, which we look forward to seeing in this forum,” he added.

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