President Rodrigo Duterte is aiming to seal new business deals and meet the Filipino community in the Middle East for his upcoming state visit in the region in February.
Before the president’s visit, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) will hold business roadshows in Saudi Arabia on January 23, Qatar on January 24-25, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on January 25-26.
“This visit is to attract Middle East investors to come in. But also, it’s to promote Philippine goods to them. It’s already being done now because we have a huge Philippine community in the countries there,” PCCI President George Barcelon said in a media roundtable.
Barcelon said Middle East businesses would likely be looking to invest in the infrastructure, real estate and tourism industries.
Meanwhile, Philippine firms are keen to export more agricultural goods to the region. The business delegation will discuss the process of securing halal certifications to sell their food products, Barcelon said.
The Middle East is the prime destination for overseas Filipino workers (OFW). In 2015, 1.4 million OFWs worked in the Middle East — equivalent to 56% of the total OFW population.
