Dr. Benjarong Suwankiri, Senior Executive Vice President of Export-Import Bank of Thailand (EXIM Thailand); Dr. Srisala Pawamikul, Vice Chairwoman of Thai National Shippers Council (TNSC); and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nopporn Ruangwanit, Director of Integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree Program in Business and Accounting, Thammasat Business School, and Director of TOP X Exporter Network Program Class 2, led a delegation of entrepreneurs from the TOP X Exporter Network Program Class 2 to explore the export ecosystem and conduct business networking in the Middle East market, covering in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during August 25-31, 2023. The Program was jointly organized by the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC) and Board of Trade of Thailand (BoT), Federation of Thai Industries (F.T.I.), TNSC, Thammasat University and EXIM Thailand. They met with Mr. Darm Boontham, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Mr. Kitinai Nutakul, Consul-General of Thailand in Jeddah; Mr. Apichart Prasertsuk, Director of Thai Trade Center in Jeddah; Miss Nipa Nirannoot, Consul-General-Designate of Thailand in Dubai; Mr. Pitichai Ratananaka, Director of Thai Trade Center in Dubai, and local businesspeople.
The delegation participated in the Thailand Business Matching event in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, organized by Thai Trade Center in Jeddah. The event featured the involvement of over 50 Thai entrepreneurs from various industries, including food and beverages, automobiles, construction materials, logistics, furniture, electronics, and cosmetics. It garnered interest from more than 200 leading Saudi importers and entrepreneurs for the business matching activity. Additionally, the delegation visited Lulu Hypermarket, renowned for offering the largest selection of Thai consumer products in Saudi Arabia, and attended the Thai Trade Exhibition Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) 2023, an event showcasing consumer goods, health products, beauty products, and medical services in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In the UAE, the delegation visited Jebel Ali Port, the largest port in the Middle East, to explore opportunities for Thai products in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. They also participated in the Business Networking event with UAE entrepreneurs in Dubai, aimed at supporting Thai entrepreneurs in expanding and growing sustainably in the Middle East market throughout the export value chain, generating negotiated deals worth more than 150 million baht.