Canada’s blind MENA eye

Leave it to a Kuwaiti cabinet minister to tell us like it is!

I had the good fortune of attending a luncheon yesterday hosted by law firm BLG. The guest of honour has Ahmad R. Al-Haroun, Minister of Commerce & Industry for Kuwait. He was a very personable and experienced man, just the type that you’d expect to see in power. His four day Canadian trade mission is in full swing, and he has brought along a wide array of highly relevant business leaders in an effort to stimulate trade and investment between our two countries.

Here’s a data point: according to one member of the delegation, Kuwait was $120 billion to invest around the world over the next five years.

Here’s another data point: according to Minister Al-Haroun, of the 120 delegations received by the 30,000 member Kuwait Chamber of Commerce over the past year, none were from Canada.

Although Canada has some highly relevant experience and technology in the very sectors that Kuwait cares about, such as water, mobile, clean tech and energy, not one mission.

After visiting Kuwait last November for this very purpose (see prior post “Gulf Trip: Day Five” December 5-08), I made the point that Canadian companies are missing some great opportunities to boost sales and develop local joint venture opportunities in places like Kuwai. Within a two hour flight, you can reach hundreds of millions of potential customers.

But don’t take my word for it. We now have a high-ranking Kuwaiti cabinet minister in town making a similar point.

Who’s in?

MRM