PARIS: The second edition of the two-day Vision Golfe business event begins in Paris on Tuesday, showcasing opportunities for commercial partnerships between France and the Gulf states.
Vision Golfe is a platform promoting business cooperation in high-growth markets across both private and public sectors, such as trade, transport, energy, retail, sports, culture and the environment. Key economic players, government ministers, small business managers, startups and senior executives will meet and exchange views.
The relationship between France and the GCC has been marked by significant political, economic and cultural developments in recent years.
“Between France and the GCC countries … we have a long story of friendship. We build bridges together based on mutual comprehension, respect, mutual interest, ambition and our political bilateral relation is absolutely at the top,” Axel Baroux, trade and invest commissioner of Business France Middle East, said in an interview in May.
Opening remarks by Laurent Saint-Martin, CEO of Business France, followed by an introductory roundtable, “The Gulf at the crossroads of Asia and Europe,” will open two days of panels and meetings.
The French touch and know-how will also be in the spotlight, in the presence of a number of guests and speakers, such as Jean-Yves Le Drian, chair of the French Agency for the Development of AlUla; NIDLP CEO Suliman Almazroua; the secretary-general of the UAE International Investors Council, Jamal Saif Al-Jarwan; and the participation of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office, Mohamed Bin Zayed University, as well as Kuwaiti and Qatari groups.
The program includes discussions on the convergence of national strategies, such as Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and France’s Vision 2030.
Panels will also discuss the future of infrastructure and transport corridors, sustainable energy, waste management and resource allocation following COP28, healthcare challenges in France and the GCC, AI applications and opportunities for French brands and consumer goods in the GCC.
The second day of the event will highlight the importance of partnerships in reaching energy transition targets, how to invest and set up in the Gulf, and the fundamentals of mastering mega-events in the GCC from a sports perspective.
The event will also host several B2B meetings and discussions.
France has been announced as the most attractive destination in Europe for foreign direct investment for the fifth consecutive year.
Axel Baroux said that French exports to the GCC were valued at $16 billion in 2023, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE constituting the largest markets in a region marked by considerable growth in trade.
Vision Golfe aims to accelerate commercial partnerships between France and key players in the region, such as Saudi Arabia.
