Abu Dhabi Chamber signs two Athens deals linking Emirati firms to Greek market
Abu Dhabi Chamber agreements with Enterprise Greece and the Athens Chamber open access to over 140,000 Greek companies, the Chamber said on Oct. 26.
Photo: Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ADCCI) has concluded two agreements in Athens with Greek business institutions, including one that represents more than 140,000 registered companies, the Chamber said in a statement issued on Monday, October 26.
One deal, a memorandum of understanding, was reached with Enterprise Greece, the state agency tasked with promoting investment and trade. The other, a cooperation agreement, binds the Chamber to the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), whose network accounts for the 140,000-plus firms.
Signed at business forum
Both texts were finalised on the sidelines of the UAE–Greece Business Forum held in the Greek capital. Dr. Ali bin Harmal Al Dhaheri, First Vice Chairman of Abu Dhabi Chamber, put his name to each of them. Dimitris Skalkos, Chairman of Enterprise Greece, signed the memorandum, and ACCI President Ioannis Bratakos signed for the Athens side.
The Chamber said the step forms part of its drive to widen economic partnerships abroad, help Abu Dhabi companies grow outside the UAE and draw the two countries’ private sectors closer together.
Enterprise Greece works under the auspices of Greece’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It seeks to attract foreign direct investment, push Greek exports and guide investors through the country’s business and regulatory environment.
Scope of the two texts
Under the memorandum, each organisation, acting within its mandate, will share information with the other on trade and investment prospects, priority sectors and the requirements for establishing a business in Greece and in Abu Dhabi. The two bodies also intend to arrange introductions to authorities, investors and possible partners, back trade and investment delegations and business meetings, and encourage knowledge exchange and supply-chain collaboration.
The agreement with the ACCI centres on company-to-company ties. It covers swapping market intelligence and details of trade and investment openings, organising bilateral meetings, delegations and joint events, and helping small and medium-sized firms expand abroad. The two chambers will also share expertise on innovation, on building capacity and on the move to digital.
What the signatories said
Al Dhaheri said international partnerships should be measured by the opportunities they bring companies rather than by the tally of signed documents.
“Through these agreements, we are strengthening Abu Dhabi’s connections with two influential economic institutions in Greece, giving our business community access to wider networks, reliable investment intelligence and direct channels to potential partners.”
He added that the Chamber wants more businesses to benefit, notably SMEs with strong potential for international growth, and to support their entry into European markets.
For Skalkos, the next challenge is turning the existing investment momentum into openings for more companies in both countries; he said his agency’s priority is “what happens after the signing”. Bratakos described the United Arab Emirates as “a strategic economic partner for Greece” and said the ACCI is committed to producing tangible business opportunities from the partnership.
US$606 million in non-oil trade
The Chamber put bilateral non-oil trade at approximately US$606 million in 2025, and recalled that a €4 billion investment cooperation framework between the two countries was announced in 2022.
Among recent Emirati transactions in Greece, it cited Masdar’s takeover of TERNA ENERGY, a deal valuing the company at roughly €3.2 billion in enterprise-value terms. PureHealth, for its part, paid €800 million for a 60% holding in Hellenic Healthcare Group, while Emirati capital has also gone into hotels and digital networks.
