Incona Events: Visit of the Dubai CommerCity Delegation to St. Petersburg

On September 26, the conference “Opportunities for Russian Business in Dubai: Presentation of Dubai CommerCity” was held at the building of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The business program was opened by Sergey Katenev, President of the St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In his welcoming remarks, he emphasized the importance of actively developing trade relations between Russia and the UAE, as well as the need for St. Petersburg companies to strengthen international cooperation with the rapidly growing economies of the Gulf region.

A keynote presentation titled “Current Opportunities for Russian Business in the UAE and the Gulf Countries” was delivered by Aleksei Busev, General Director of Incona:

“Today, the number of Russian companies operating in the Emirates has grown significantly. The situation has changed dramatically compared to 5, 10, or 20 years ago. As someone who has been working with the region for two decades, I have witnessed all stages of its development. Now, businesses of a fundamentally different scale are entering the UAE — holding companies, e-commerce enterprises, and manufacturing firms. The Emirates offer ready-made infrastructure and comprehensive solutions for all these sectors. We are seeing truly strong interest in this market.”

Alexandra Miritinova, Head of Sales and Commercial Operations at Dubai CommerCity (DCC), spoke about the opportunities provided by the free economic zone:

“Our goal is to strengthen Dubai’s position as the capital of digital commerce. The mission of Dubai CommerCity is to implement national strategies related to the digital economy and future technologies. We aim to accelerate the growth of companies in the digital sector and promote trade within free economic zones. The digital economy strategy seeks to double its contribution to the UAE’s GDP, reinforce the country’s status as a regional and global hub of digital leadership, and attract foreign investment.”

A presentation on the legal aspects of doing business in the UAE for foreign companies was given by Alexander Brexendorff, Managing Partner at MENA LEGAL. In his address, he focused on key legal considerations and provided practical recommendations for Russian companies entering the UAE market.

The outcomes of the business mission confirmed the strategic importance of strengthening partnerships between St. Petersburg and Dubai. The visit allowed both sides to exchange experience and discuss cooperation opportunities. As a result of the meetings, several promising areas for collaboration were identified — including digital economy, trade, and investment.