Arab–Irish Business Summit | Mansion House, Dublin
It was a great pleasure to attend the Arab–Irish Business Summit last week in the historic Mansion House, Dublin.
The summit offered fascinating insights into the vast opportunities available to Irish companies across the Arab world. At a time when Ireland faces uncertainty arising from tariffs, shifting global trade dynamics and investment pressures, the message was clear: indigenous Irish firms must continue to diversify and seize opportunities in new and expanding markets. The Arab region — with its scale, ambition and strong appetite for innovation — represents one of the most dynamic growth opportunities for Irish products, services and long-term partnerships.
This bi-annual event, jointly organised by the Arab–Irish Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise Ireland, Bord Bia – The Irish Food Board, and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, brought together an impressive mix of business leaders, policymakers and entrepreneurs to explore how Ireland can deepen its trade and investment relationships across the Arab world.
Ahmad Younis, Secretary General & CEO of the Arab–Irish Chamber of Commerce, and Stephen Twomey, Enterprise Ireland MENA, delivered an excellent and compelling overview of the scale and diversity of opportunities across the MENA region. It was particularly encouraging to hear about the strong, practical support being provided on the ground by Enterprise Ireland’s regional teams and by Ireland’s diplomatic network, led in the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait by Ambassador Alison Milton.
A highly uplifting contribution from Minister of State Neale Richmond TD reinforced the Government’s commitment to strengthening Ireland’s economic partnerships in the Arab region, supporting exporters, and ensuring Irish companies are well positioned to capitalise on emerging global opportunities. Events like this underline what is possible when we think globally, collaborate confidently, and back Irish entrepreneurship on the world stage.
The panel discussions were especially insightful, showcasing Irish companies that are already thriving in the region, including Continuous Ventures, WaterWipes (Digital Team), Lakeland Dairies, Chanelle McCoy Health, FITT Meals, SIS Pitches Middle East, NuLumenTek®, and others. Their experiences highlighted both the challenges — and the significant rewards — of building sustainable businesses in these fast-growing markets.
The summit was a timely and powerful reminder of the scale of opportunity that lies ahead for Ireland as we continue to strengthen our global trade relationships and support Irish enterprise abroad.