The Samaria Regional Council and heads of local manufacturers and companies signed the first export agreement on Monday with companies in the United Arab Emirates, according to the Hebrew-language Srugim news site.
Last month Samaria Regional Council leader Yossi Dagan and heads of local manufacturers and companies met with their counterparts in Dubai as part of a strategic move to upgrade and strengthen the regional economy and industry.
That effort paid off this weekend when Dagan landed in Dubai together with a delegation of owners of wineries and honey producers from Samaria; by Monday morning they and their UAE counterparts were reaping the fruit of their efforts to establish mutual business ties between their region and that of the Gulf state.
The agreement was signed at the FAM offices in Dubai, between Paradise Honey of Northern Samaria, Tura Winery of Rechelim, and FAM Holding, to export wine, honey, olive oil and tahini to the Emirates. FAM Holding Company, a national group established in 2005, is owned by Dr.Faisal Ali Mousa and is rated among the most recognized groups in UAE.
The FAM Holding company, one of the largest holding firms in the UAE, is currently valued at more than NIS 3 billion and listed by Forbes magazines as one of the top 100 companies leading in growth in the Middle East.
“We are very happy that you came here,” said Dr. Faisal. “If you had asked me a year ago if I had dreamed such a thing could have happened, I would have told you no. We have achieved a great goal today. We have transformed the vision of our countries into practice.
“This is just the beginning of business between two countries – it is not just a business signature,” he said. “This is a statement to the world that we are real brothers, we are real friends and we want to do business together and live in peace. We are changing the future.”
Matan Paradise, a senior official at Paradise Honey, called the situation “exciting,” adding the delegation is “confident that following the signing we will continue to export not only to the Emirates but also to other places.”
Likewise, Vered Ben Sadoun, owner of Tura Winery added, “We are happy and excited to come to Dubai … Tura Winery has been privileged to make a historic mark in relations between people.”
Dubai investors have an interest in the honey industry because in the UAE that industry is one of the strongest in the world. The Samaria company produces varietal honey from avocado flowers, eucalyptus, wild flowers and more, all without any additives.
In addition, there is a need for wine in Dubai due to the extensive tourism in the city. Even though many residents themselves are mostly devout Muslims and avoid drinking alcohol, a high percentage of the residents are not local; in addition, the tourism is extensive and therefore creates an interest in high quality wine at reasonable prices.