Henri Oosthoek, CEO of Koppert Biological Systems, took part in a Round Table Meeting of top Dutch companies as part of the Joint Economic Committee meeting between the United Arab Emirates and the Netherlands in Dubai on 2 November. The top-level meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the United Arab Emirates, Dr Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, and the Minister of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation for the Netherlands, Tom de Bruijn.
The meeting aimed to intensify the economic cooperation between the UAE and the Netherlands and to provide Dutch companies with activities in this region the opportunity to discuss strategic issues that are of mutual interest for economic growth and investment opportunities. The CEOs are from nine Dutch companies , including Shell, Port of Rotterdam, Royal Friesland Campina and Royal Philips. The meeting took place at the Netherlands Pavilion at the Expo 2020 Dubai.
‘It is an honour to be part of this top-level business meeting that is being led by the Foreign Ministries of the UAE and the Netherlands,’ says Oosthoek. ‘Our company has been providing biological solutions for horticulture in this region for almost 10 years. Innovation and collaboration are key for supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and the UAE has been a driving force to contribute to them. This fits in seamlessly with Koppert’s mission to facilitate sustainable growing practices worldwide and we aim to expand our business in the region.’
The CEO Round Table meeting held discussions on sustainable trade development between the UAE and the Netherlands, digitalization, innovation and data security, and future policy development of the UAE. The meeting culminated with the signing of bilateral documents by the Foreign Ministries of the two countries.