A delegation of 20 post-graduate students from Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Switzerland visited GRC. The students were all Master of Finance degree candidates interested in Gulf economic issues. The group, which was led by Prof. Maurice Pedergnana, was briefed by GRC research department heads on issues relating to the economic situation in the Gulf with a view to existing challenges and future trends.
A delegation of high
ranking naval officers from the US Naval Forces, headed by Rear Admiral Thomas
A. Cropper, Deputy Commander, US Naval Forces Central Command, paid a courtesy
visit to the Gulf Research Center. The delegation was briefed on the current
regional situation by the GRC Chairman and the heads of the relevant
departments.
A delegation from the
Konrad Adenauer Stiftung visited the Gulf Research Center to discuss regional
developments and Gulf-EU relations. The delegation, consisting of Dr. Gerhard
Wahlers, Deputy Secretary General, Dr. Hardy Ostry, Head of Africa & ME
Division and Mr. Thomas Birringer, Regional Representative to the Gulf States,
was received and briefed by Dr. Oskar Ziemelis, the GRC Director of
Cooperation.
The EU Commercial and Economic Counselors in the UAE held a meeting at GRC and were briefed by Dr. Eckart Woertz about the economic outlook of the GCC in 2009.
Mr. Jiro Kodera, Director-General of the Intelligence and Analysis Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan visited the GRC where he met with Dr. Christian Koch, Director of International Studies. They discussed current developments in the Gulf region especially issues pertaining to Yemen, the Iranian nuclear program and the Arab world in general. He was accompanied by Mr. Hiroyasu Kobayashi, the Consul General of Japan in Dubai.
A delegation from the South African Departmjent of Trade and Industry visited to the GRC to discuss the development of Gulf-Africa relations and ways to promote investment opportunities in Africa through GCC participation. The visit also talked about the planning for the second Gulf-Africa Forum to take place in Saudi Arabia in February 2010. The delegation was headed by Mr. Iqbal Merr Sharma, Deputy Director-General at the Department of Trade and Industry and also included Mr. Willem Van Der Spuy, Director for Trade and Investment in South Africa; Mr. Sake Van Der Wal, Deputy Director of the Middle East and Asia Desk and Yunus Hoosen, Director for Investment Promotion and Facilitation.
