APMCC-KSA Deal Benefits A P's Muslims

By signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Al Safqa Al Oula, a pioneer company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) involved in construction and trading activities, the A P Muslim Chamber of Commerce (APMCC) on Sunday took a major step forward in its bid to promote Muslim entrepreneurs from the state.

APMCC Chairman Syed Azmathullah, a former bureaucrat, expressed confidence that the MoU would be a part of many such endeavours to help Muslim industrialists, traders, investors and entrepreneurs of the state explore new avenues of businesses.

"The MoU will ensure that the Muslim entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to explore the possibilities of 2-way business deals, and it will facilitate investment and business in either country (India or Saudi Arabia) from today," said Azmathullah.

The APMCC is a duly registered body under Article 125 of the Constitution, and the MoU came about after the Board of the APMCC held a series of meetings with a group of Saudi businessmen visiting the country.

"The group, headed by the owner of the Al Safqa Al Oula company, Sheikh Yahya Bin Mushabib Al Shouti, entered into protracted negotiations with the APMCC to ensure that both the parties involved are mutually benefitted," Azmathullah revealed.

As per the MoU, the 2 organizations will work towards assisting and facilitating investments, businesses, exports, manpower training and recruitment in their respective countries for businessmen from India and Saudi Arabia. The MoU also stresses upon the importance of the friendly and bilateral relationship between the 2 countries, and aims at promoting this relationship to a level of understanding in socio-economic spheres.

Management expert and leading social worker Mohammed Haseebullah, who has worked in Saudi Arabia and is presently based in Hyderabad, has been nominated as the coordinator between the 2 signatories of the MoU.

Dr. Haseebullah also acted as the master of ceremonies during the MoU signing ceremony.

Sheikh Yahya Bin Mushabib said that it is imperative for Indian Muslims to get into the mainstream of economic dealings. "This is the need of the hour," he said.

The Arab businessman promised to extend his cooperation and help to all businessmen, investors and industrialists who wish to establish businesses in Saudi Arabia. He also said that he would incorporate more firms and companies to the MoU, so that a wide spectrum of needs of Indian businessmen are met.

Sheikh Yahya said that the MoU also focuses upon streamlining recruitment process and training prospective job seekers who wish to work in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He said his organization extends an invitation to a group of Muslim businessmen and the office bearers of the APMCC to visit KSA to take the MoU to a higher level.

Addressing the gathering, Azmatullah thanked Sheikh Yahya and promised to extend his support to any Saudi businessman who would like to invest or transact any business in the state.

Azmatullah informed the gathering that the A P Muslim Chamber of Commerce is in the process of creating a data base of all the business people in the state. "They are also setting up a single window portal to help NRIs, mainly from A P, who would like to return and establish industries or other businesses in the state," he said.

The APMCC Chairman described the signing of the MoU as a historic and positive step in meeting the objectives of the Chamber.

He also informed that training and awareness programs for those aspiring to work in the Middle East will be organized in the near future.

APMCC Secretary Majid Ansari proposed a vote of thanks. Several leading businessmen from the Muslim community, including Sharfuddin Anwar, and Ghulam Mohammed, were present at the MoU signing ceremony.

The A P Muslim Chamber of Commerce is the only such registered Chamber in the entire country.

Courtesy: INN