From May 30th to June 1st, 2013, the III International Exhibition «ARABIA-EXPO 2013» and the XI Joint Session of the «Russian-Arab Business Council» took place in the Exhibition center of St. Petersburg — «Lenexpo Exhibition Center».
This exhibition and session provided a great opportunity to strengthen Russian-Arab trade and economic cooperation in general and the interaction of companies and organizations of the North-Western Administrative District with Arab economic operators in particular.
The event was organized by the «Russian-Arab Business Council», «Arabia-Expo» Ltd.
Co-organizers: Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, League of Arab Countries, Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Arab Countries.
After the end of the plenary session on the occasion of the XI Joint Meeting of the «Russian-Arab Business Council», the official opening ceremony of the III International Exhibition «ARABIA-EXPO 2013» took place. The opening of the Exhibition «ARABIA-EXPO 2013» was attended by Chairman of the Russian part of RABC, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Joint Stock Financial Corporation «Sistema» V.P. Yevtushenkov, Director of the «Russian-Arab Business Council» T.A. Gvilava, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg V.A. Lavrentsev, President of the General Council of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of the Arab countries Adnan Kassar.
The Exhibition consisted of national expositions of Arab countries, Expositions of Russian Regions as well as expositions of selected Arab and Russian companies. The United Arab Emirates stand occupied the central place.
The Exhibition was attended by the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation — S.N. Katyrin, Chairman of the Russian part of RABC, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Joint Stock Financial Corporation «Sistema» — V.P. Yevtushenkov, the special representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the North-Western Federal District — V.I. Bulavin, Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg — V.A. Lavrentsev, President of the General Council of the Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of the Arab countries — Adnan Kassar, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Mauritania — Mohammad Ould Mohammad Mahmoud, Minister of National Economy of Palestine — Jawad bin Naji, Deputy Minister of Economy of the UAE — Juma Al-Kit, Advisor to the Minister of Commerce of Iraq — Kazem Al-Husni, Chairman of the International Association of Business and Investments (Egypt) — Ahmed Galyal’ddin, Head of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf and Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Oman — Khalil Al-Khondzhi, state-owned companies and private enterprises of Russia (Moscow, Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region, Nizhny Novgorod Region, Chechen Republic, Republic of Tatarstan, Republic of Dagestan, Republic of Ingushetia, Republic of Bashkortostan, Stavropol Territory, Krasnodar Territory, Astrakhan Region, Sverdlovsk Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory and more than 30 Russian regions), as well as the UAE, Iraq, Algeria, Sudan, Lebanon, Bahrain, Egypt, Oman, Morocco, Tunisia, Jordan, Palestine, Mauritania, Kuwait.
Within the business program of the exhibition, the XI Joint Meeting of the «Russian-Arab Business Council» was held — a business forum with the representatives’ participation of Russian and Arab business circles, ministries and departments, interested companies and individuals, that included plenary sessions, bilateral business councils sessions, and sections on directions of cooperation.
The subjects of the exhibition covered various areas of cooperation of mutual interest:
Investments, oil and gas, energy, mineral resources, construction, building materials and technologies, engineering, metallurgy, agriculture and food, food industry; light industry, water supply and water treatment, information technology, telecommunications, IT technologies, safety technologies, innovations and nanotechnologies, tourism, education, medicine, chemical industry, banks, finances, insurance, consumer goods
The official closing ceremony of the III International Exhibition"ARABIA-EXPO 2013″ took place on June 10th, 2010 at 15:30, during which the participants were given commemorative diplomas and thanks. Within the ceremony, it was announced that the UAE stand had been awarded the first place as the largest and most beautiful national pavilion among the participating countries.