Russian-Arab Business Council (information relevant for September 2013)
The Russian-Arab Business Council (RABC) is an organization that serves to promote the development of investment, trade and economic cooperation between Russian and Arab business structures and provide effective help in establishing direct business contacts between entrepreneurs.
The RABC was established in 2002 according to an agreement, signed by the Russian CCI and the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for Arab Countries.
The main directions of the RABC’s activities include organizing meetings, sessions, business forums, round tables, exhibitions in Russia and Arab countries, organizing B2B meetings, establishing direct contacts between Russian and Arab entrepreneurial structures, preparations, consulting and support of projects and signing of agreements, in addition to research and information work.
The headquarters of the Russian part of the RABC are located in Moscow, while the secretariat of the General Union of CCIA for Arab Cultures, the headquarters of which are in Lebanon, functions as the Arab part.
The RABC has established a unique infrastructure of contacts with governments, public authorities, ministries and departments of practically all Arab countries and key public and private companies. In the recent years the Russian-Arab Business Council has been making a breakthrough in Russian-Arab investment, trade and economic cooperation. During the period from 2003 to 2013 the volume of trade turnover between the Russian Federation and the countries of the region has increased nearly ten times and reached $14 billion, while the volume of direct investment in Russia’s economy in the period from 2012 to 2013 alone is more than $9 billion. Financial resources are invested in projects on the territory of Russia by the biggest public sovereign funds of the Middle East, primarily Mubadala (UAE), Kuwait Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Department of Finance (UAE), Qatar Holding and Qatar Investment Authority, State General Reserve Fund (Oman) and others.
The RABC has helped many Russian and Arab trade and economic operators to sign tens of agreements, and many Russian companies have found and started the development of new market outlets, they have attracted investment to the Russian territory and found reliable partners for their projects in the Arab World.
The cooperation infrastructure created by the RABC made work in Arab countries possible for the biggest Russian companies, among them Gazprom, Lukoil, Gazpromneft, Stroytransgaz, Tatneft, Kamaz Holding, Russian Railroads, InterRAO and others. The Arab region is now of great interest for Russian economic operators interested in entering new market outlets and participating in international investment projects.
At the present stage, the list of the RABC members includes a number of key Russian companies working in domestic and international markets – JSFC Sistema, Vneshekonombank, OJSC Bashneft, Vneshtorgbank, OJSC RPC Uralvagonzavod, LLC Zagranstroy, and others. The Russian-Arab Business Council is chaired by Mr. Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Chairman of JSFC Sistema. The post of Director General of the RABC is held by Mr. Stanislav Yankovets.
Eighteen bilateral Russian-Arab business councils function under the guidance of the RABC, and active part in their activities is taken by more than 400 big and medium-size Russian companies, representatives of Chambers of Commerce and Industry and key organization of the biggest part of Arab economies.
During the ten years of it work the Council has organized over a hundred Russian-Arab events in the format of forums, round tables, conferences and presentations in Russia and Arab countries. Joint sessions of the Russian and the Arab parts of the Council have been held in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cairo, Beirut, Riyadh, Manama and Casablanca. Welcome letters are regularly forwarded by to the participants of the sessions by President, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
In 2008, 2010 at Crocus Expo in Moscow and in 2013 at Lenexpo in St. Petersburg the three editions of the International Exhibition “Arabia-EXPO” took place together with the Eighth, Ninth and Tenth sessions of the RABC. The exhibition itself is the most important event of the Russian-Arab business agenda, and it was held with the support of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the League of Arab States. In the framework of these events – the exhibition itself, the plenary sessions and the round tables – the participants discussed relevant issues of bilateral cooperation, specific projects, and exchanged views on a number of questions. The latest exhibition saw participation of more than 100 big companies, representatives of small and medium-size business from Arab countries, Europe and Russia, and the number of attendants visitors reached several thousand people.
Since the moment of the establishment of the RABC bilateral forums and specialized exhibitions of Russian products and services have been organized in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar, Morocco, Saudi Arabia (several times even in the framework of Jidda Economic Forum “Middle East Davos”) and Algeria, some events have been organized in the course of official visits of President of the Russian Federation. At the turn of 2012 the project of the Russian-Emirati exhibition, timed to coincide with the forum “Russia-Persian Gulf Countries” in the UAE was successfully launched. In the period March 17 to 23, 2011, in the course of one of its sessions the RABC took part in organizing a round table “Russia-Arab World” in the framework of St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, and in 2013 it participated in holding the round table “Industrial Infrastructure Development: Prospects of Cooperation between Russia and Arab World” in the framework of the International exhibition and industry and innovations forum “INNOPROM-2013”.
In 2013 and 2014 the RABC is planning to hold a big number of events in Arab countries and on the Russian territory (the plan of the events attached).
RABC Members
There are two types of membership for companies in the RABC, Associated Members of the Russian-Arab Business Council and Members of Coordination Council. According to the Statute of admission and registration of the RABC members, the issue of admitting new members to the organization is considered by the Coordination Council of the RABC.
Services available for RABC Coordination Council Members
· Possibility of heading one of the bilateral Russian-Arab business councils functioning in the framework of the RABC;
· Determination (jointly with the RABC) of the perspectives of trade-economic and investment cooperation with a particular Arab country and possibilities of establishing a direct contact with Ministries, departments and large companies of Arab countries;
· Positioning of the RABC Member in Arab business community and targeted promotion of the member company at RABC events;
· Possibility of heading sessions of sections and round tables, in addition to holding presentation of your companies, business interests and directions of work in Arab countries;
· Assistance in trade-economic activities, directed at establishing and developing partner relations with Arab economic operators, holding talks and maintaining correspondence;
· Recommendations on the organization of relations with potential partners, Ministries, departments, and Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Arab countries;
· Targeted approach to the issues of holding meetings with representatives of Arab business circles in the framework of the process of finding partners for specific business directions;
· Help in reaching to specific agreements with Arab partners and preparation of signing bilateral documents;
· Attachment of investors to Russian projects and finding projects for Russian investors in Arab countries in different spheres of economy;
· Exemption from payment of registration fee at all RABC events for membership period for one year for two representatives of the Associated Member
Services available for Associated RABC Members
· Positioning of the RABC Member in Arab business community and targeted promotion of the member company at RABC events;
· Possibility of heading sessions of sections and round tables, in addition to holding presentation of your companies, business interests and directions of work in Arab countries;
· Assistance in trade-economic activities, directed at establishing and developing partner relations with Arab economic operators, holding talks and maintaining correspondence;
· Recommendations on the organization of relations with potential partners, Ministries, departments, and Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Arab countries;
· Targeted approach to the issues of holding meetings with representatives of Arab business circles in the framework of the process of finding partners for specific business directions;
· Help in reaching to specific agreements with Arab partners and preparation of signing bilateral documents;
· Attachment of investors to Russian projects and finding projects for Russian investors in Arab countries in different spheres of economy;
· Exemption from payment of registration fee at all RABC events for membership period for one year for one representative of the Associated Member
Members of the Coordination Council and the RABC Associated members also have the possibility to achieve the status of the Council’s Privileged Partner, which means conjunct development and execution of a specific detailed program of cooperation between the Privileged Partner and the Council, including the Council’s assistance in finding specific partners for achieving the interests, preparing agreements and controlling their execution, assistance in organizing the financing from Russian and international sources. The conditions of such cooperation are discussed individually with each company.
Throughout the years of its existence the RABC has helped the majority of its members help partners in the Arab World, because the RABC is a well-known brand in the Middle East, North Africa and the Persian Gulf.
Contact person – Vladislav Lutsenko, Deputy Director General of the RABC (tel. +7 915 239 09 32, e-mail lutsenko@russarabbc.ru).
The Russian-Arab Business Council web-site: www.russarabbc.ru