Hellenic Business Council News | Issue 3

Building connections and Creating Opportunities for Collaboration

As the official body representing Greek businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals operating in Dubai and the UAE, our focus remains on creating opportunities for our members to turn conversations into meaningful connections, and, in turn, into collaborations with like-minded organisations and individuals.

In the second half of the year, we welcomed 22 new corporate and professional members from diverse industries to our network, strengthening the presence of the Greek business community and expanding its footprint in the UAE.   

PAST EVENTS: TURNING NETWORKING INTERACTIONS INTO LASTING CONNECTIONS 

We have intensified our efforts to deliver thematic meetings and networking events to our members in the second half of 2025, successfully engaging hundreds of professionals and promoting synergies and knowledge sharing.

Additionally, our members have enjoyed exclusive access to Dubai Chambers’ events and workshops, such as the Global Trends event and the Business Services webinar, thus fostering interaction between the private sector and government bodies. Meanwhile, we continue our collaboration with numerous national Business Councils and participate in joint Inter-Council networking events.

Below is a snapshot of key HBC-led activities as well as events in collaboration with other national Business Councils. 

July
12/7	Mid-Summer Social Event exclusively for HBC members at the Lounge Café, Ritz Carlton JBR, organised by the HBC Women in Business and Education Chapters.
September
10/9	This year's Big Inter-Council Networking Night held at SO/Uptown Dubai was a unique opportunity to engage with over 400 professionals from 22 business communities.
19/9	Under the auspices of the Hellenic Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the HBC and the Greek community alongside guests from around the globe came together to celebrate the world premiere sculpture unveiling of “Echo of Casta Diva” by renowned sculptor Nikos Floros at Dubai Opera.
30/9	The HBC members-only webinar focusing on E-invoicing in the UAE, presented by Mr Markos Brotzakis, Managing Partner at Gulf Tax Consultants (GTC), informed of the new framework and the implications for businesses.
October
7/10	HBC members engaged with professionals from six other National Business Councils at the Inter-council Networking Event, which was held at the Hilton Palm Jumeirah.
14/10, 15/10	Chairman Thanos Karvelis represented the HBC in two GITEX private receptions organised by the Greek and Cypriot delegations.
20/10	Finance Chapter Head Christos Mastoras hosted a senior delegation from the National Bank of Greece, led by Vassilis Karamouzis, General Manager of Corporate and Investment Banking. A private dinner held at Coya in Abu Dhabi brought together a select group of senior investment and finance professionals in the UAE, to further explore potential opportunities.
27/10	Education Chapter Head Sophia Moulin had a meeting with Dr. Vidya Nandagopal, Director of the Centre of Executive Development at University of Dubai and Chairwoman at the Universities Business Group of Dubai Chambers, to explore opportunities for collaboration.
November
5/11	On the occasion of Gulfood Manufacturing, the Head of the Consumer Goods and Retail Chapters Ilias Assimakopoulos hosted a seminar at the DIFC Academy, focusing on AI in the food manufacturing industry. Lead guest speaker Vanderlei (Vandy) Santos, former Chief Digital Officer of the Agthia Group, gave an insightful analysis of the changing landscape and emerging trends in the food manufacturing industry.
5/11	Education Chapter Head Sophia Moulin represented the HBC in a reception celebrating Greece as the Guest of Honour at the 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF 2025), one of the world’s leading publishing events, taking place from 5 to 16 November 2025 at the Expo Centre Sharjah.
10/11	The Construction, Design, Energy and Real Estate Chapters led by Apostolos Mylonas, Christos Papachristou and Sotiris Tsoulos, organised an exclusive networking event supported by Archirodon at Nola JLT Garden. This was a unique opportunity for Greek professionals, innovators and leaders across the construction and energy industries to make new connections, share knowledge and explore possibilities for collaboration.
11/11	HBC supported the Capital Link Maritime Forum in Dubai, which brought together key stakeholders from the global and UAE maritime sectors, including shipowners, financiers, charterers and maritime service providers.
27/11	Enterprise Greece, Dubai Chambers and HBC jointly organised an exclusive Investment Forum, the first of its kind, entitled “Unveiling Prime Tourism Investment Opportunities in Greece and Dubai, held at the Dubai Chambers HQ. Participants had the opportunity to hear from Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Harry Theoharis, and UAE senior government officials.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: EXCLUSIVE INVESTMENT FORUM "UNVEILING PRIME TOURISM INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN GREECE AND DUBAI"

HBC, Enterprise Greece and Dubai Chambers, with the support of the Embassy of Greece in the United Arab Emirates, co-organised the high-level business event “Unveiling Prime Tourism Investment Opportunities in Greece and Dubai”, which took place on 27 November 2025 at Dubai Chambers’ headquarters.

The first-of-its-kind event brought together senior officials, investors, developers and tourism leaders from both countries and showcased strategic projects and investment opportunities across the wider tourism and hospitality value chain, from resorts, marinas and mixed-use developments to supporting infrastructure and services.

The programme opened with remarks by Maha AlGargawi, Vice President of Business Advocacy at Dubai Chambers, and Dr. Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece, followed by a welcome address from Mr. Harry Theoharis, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic. Additional attendees included H.E. Badreya Yousuf Al Maidoor, Assistant Undersecretary of the Support Services Sector at the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism.

A dedicated presentation on “Greece’s Tourism Landscape: Investment Opportunities Await”, showed how Greece has entered a new phase of tourism-driven structural growth, with the country positioned today as a high-growth, high-yield, low-risk destination for global capital. Complementing this, Mr. Mohammad Alkassim, Director - Europe and The Americas Region at Dubai Chambers, presented “Why Dubai”, highlighting Dubai’s position as a global tourism and investment hub and the platform it offers for regional and international investors.

“Tourism is one of Greece’s strongest global brands and a key driver of investment,” said Dr. Marinos Giannopoulos, CEO of Enterprise Greece. “By joining forces with Dubai Chambers and the Hellenic Business Council – Dubai, we connected investors with a new generation of high-quality, sustainable tourism projects in Greece, while also exploring synergies with Dubai’s world-class tourism ecosystem.”

Maha AlGargawi, Vice President of Business Advocacy at Dubai Chambers, added: “Dubai Chambers is committed to building stronger international partnerships and enabling new avenues for business and investment. Tourism remains a key sector for both Dubai and Greece, supported by strong performance and growing investor interest. Today’s event reflects the value of bringing our business communities together to explore high-potential opportunities and deepen bilateral cooperation.”

HBC SELECTED TO REPRESENT GREECE IN THE EU BUSINESS FORUM

We are honoured to have been appointed by the Embassy of the Hellenic Republic to the UAE to represent Greece in the newly established EU Business Forum (EUBF) in the UAE.

The purpose of EUBF is to provide an internal platform for EU Member States business organizations (chambers of commerce, business councils, trade offices etc.) established in the UAE to discuss issues of common interest and relevant for European economic operators in the country.

HBC Chairman Thanos Karvelis will attend the formal launching meeting on 21 January 2026 at the EU Delegation in Abu Dhabi, which will steer this new entity and help to focus its activities on the most topical issues for European business in the UAE.

UPCOMING EVENTS

We start the new year with two networking events:

· Business Networking Event, 8 January, MyGolf Dubai: This event will bring together for the first time members of the Hellenic Business Council and members of the Epicon Capital Club, a premium investors club in Dubai. You will have the opportunity to hear from our guest panel of entrepreneurs and investors about their journey and social impact.

· Back to Business 2026 Inter-Council Networking Event, 15 January, Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre: As part of our collaboration with other Business Councils, we will be participating in this Inter-Council event, which will bring together professionals from twenty national business communities.  

For more information and to register for these two events, visit our ‘Upcoming Events’ at https://www.hbc-dubai.org/event-list

Moreover, we are currently working to finalise the details of a thematic event and our Ramadan Iftar evening to be held in February. To mark a successful year of operations, the HBC Gala is expected to be held at the end of the first quarter of 2026.

Our Annual General Assembly and elections of the Council Board of Directors are scheduled to take place at the end of March. More information on the Council Board of Directors nominations and members voting rights will be communicated to all members who satisfy membership requirements in the coming weeks.

The Board is also considering other thematic events and meetings to take place in the coming months, and more details will be shared when these are finalised.