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INTERVIEW
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STRENGTHENING FRIENDSHIP AND COOPERATION
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SANJA RADLOVAČKI
Executive Director at UAE Serbia Business Club
Having a trusted partner who is interested in investing, in strategic partnerships or some other form of expanding their business in your country is very important for a small country like Serbia e talked with Sanja Radlovački, Executive Director at UAE Serbia Business Club, about what connects us with the United Arab Emirates, how Serbian companies can do business on the UAE market and vice versa, how important is for Serbia to have big stakeholders from the UAE in the country and the significance of exchanging know-how, experiences and good business practices with such a global partner.
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At the very beginning of your term, you had to deal with the COVID-19-related challenges. How much did the pandemic influence the companies that are members of the UAE Serbia Business Club?
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The months behind us have not been easy, and the economic recovery after the pandemic will be long and challenging. However, the pandemic has created certain new habits, allowed us to see the bigger picture, and to change professionally and personally. Many years of market presence, experience and knowledge of the UAE business culture have taught us that the world is changing at an incredible
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speed, and thus, market opportunities and business activities of big stakeholders are taking on new, non-traditional forms that we, in this part of the world, are used to. The UAE market is such that it demands constant excellence, but also offers ways of presenting your excel-
WHEN YOU HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH THE UAE, YOU DON’T NEED A PANDEMIC TO WAKE YOU UP AND SAY YOU HAVE TO CHANGE lence globally while imposing high local standards on the whole world. I recall that in July, at the height of the pandemic, the UAE government launched its first mission to Mars, under the slogan "Impossible is Possible", and continued to invest in people at the height of the COVID-19-induced crisis. Human capital represents the greatest value today and the UAE is the leader in that.
THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 2021
Influential and globally known companies are the Club members. Is the Club a shortcut between investors from the UAE and Serbia? Bilateral relations between Serbia and the UAE are at a high level. The UAE Serbia Business Club was created out of the desire for good cooperation between the two countries with the view of expanding and further boosting this cooperation. This was, first and foremost, demonstrated by the UAE Embassy in Serbia, headed by H.E. Mubarak Saeed Al Dhaheri. It was the Embassy, as well as the largest Arab investors, all globally known and recognized companies, that have launched an initiative for the establishment of our business club. A club like ours is a strong link and the shortest and safest way to the UAE market for our business people and vice versa. I would also like to mention that we are the only business association of this type in the region. Our Board of Directors consists of the CEOs of Masdar, Eagle Hills, Air Serbia, Al Dahra and Mirabank, which CEO is our Club’s Chairman of the Board. I believe that, thanks to such Board of Directors and members companies, we have a great strength of reputa-
