SAUDI Arabia successfully participated in the Indian Trade Fair held recently in Jeddah as the first Indian trade fair in Saudi Arabia. Shah Alam, Vice Consul General of India in Jeddah, and Eng. Loai Abdul Jawad, CEO of Emirates NBD in Saudi Arabia, cut the ribbon of the Trade Faire opening. The banks’ participation comes as a key sponsor of this prestigious exhibition which seeks to enhance the cooperation and trade relations between India and Saudi Arabia. A number of workshops were held on the value added tax, Saudi Vision 2030 and trade exchange by speakers from both the Saudi and Indian sides. Eng. Loai Abdul Jawad, CEO of Emirates NBD, Saudi Arabia, said: The bank's participation in this exhibition is a reaffirmation of our commitment to achieving the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, as well as being a platform for discussing joint investment opportunities and exchanging ideas and experiences among businessmen from India and Saudi Arabia to help create business opportunities and new opportunities for young generations and to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields and sectors. Emirates NBD also marked the commencement of operations in India with the inauguration of its first branch in Mumbai. The branch will offer a range of services to corporate, SME and institutional clients including trade finance, treasury services, bilateral and syndicated loans in addition to supporting non-resident Indian customers looking for cross-border wealth management solutions. “Building on the bilateral strong historic, cultural and commercial ties between UAE and India, we are truly delighted to open our new branch in Mumbai in order to expand our footprint to India as part of the Emirates NBD strategic planning for successful geographical expansion,” Eng. Jawad added. — SG