REUTERS

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it met with officials of three companies from Abu Dhabi to explore partnerships in the export trade and technology.

In a separate statement, the DTI said that it met with Spinneys, Lulu Group International, and Sirius International Holding over the weekend.

It said that the meeting with Spinneys explored how to bring more Philippine small and medium enterprise (SME) products into the United Arab Emirates.

“The DTI emphasized the importance of partnerships with key players like Spinneys to promote innovation, create jobs, and provide quality products to consumers,” it said.

“In the meeting, Acting Secretary Cristina A. Roque also reaffirmed to Spinneys that the DTI will introduce them to qualified SMEs ready to export to the Middle East,” it added.

The meeting with representatives of Lulu Group, a multinational conglomerate, produced a commitment “to increase their procurement of Philippine SME products,” the DTI said.

“To formalize this partnership and demonstrate their dedication, both parties agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding or Agreement,” it added.

Lulu Group operates 258 stores across the UAE and has a logistics and export center in Laguna.

Sirius, a subsidiary of IHC, was sounded out on potential high-value investments in the Philippine digital economy.

“While no formal commitments were made at this time, the meeting served as a valuable opportunity to showcase the extensive operations of Sirius to the Philippine delegation,” Ms. Roque said via Viber.

“Importantly, Sirius expressed a keen interest in exploring potential partnerships with Philippine companies in related fields. We at the DTI are actively pursuing these possibilities and engaging in further discussions to identify areas of mutual benefit and collaboration,” she added.

Sirius manages technological investments across the fishery, nuclear power, construction, healthcare, and hospitality industries. — Justine Irish D. Tabile