Symposium on Agricultural Traceability in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

It was a great day in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia!

The Export Council of Australia successfully held a symposium on agricultural traceability with Australian and Saudi delegates from business and government. Moderated by Arnold Jorge and Angela Wright, the symposium involved key Saudi agencies including the Ministry for Environment, Water and Agriculture (وزارة البيئة والمياه والزراعة), and the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA – هيئة الغذاء والدواء).

In our brief time here, it became obvious to us that Saudi Arabia’s economic modernisation is accelerating. This presents a major opportunity for Australian organisations to do business in the country.

During the dialogue, we exchanged insights on best practices relating to food safety and environmental sustainability.

We welcome the expression of interest from our Saudi counterparts to further international collaboration on global traceability.

There was also a strong desire to build on the bilateral trading relationship between the two countries on a range of products.

We followed the event with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ECA and Australian Saudi Business Forum, demonstrating our commitment to doing more in this part of the world.

Our appreciation goes to the Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, His Excellency Mark Donovan, for opening the event. And thanks to Sammi Hosseini, Counsellor (Agriculture) at the Australian Embassy in Riyadh, as well as Sam Jamsheedi and Daniel Jamsheedi from the Australian Saudi Business Forum for their support of the event.

We thank the Australian delegation that accompanied us including:

• Ms Carolyn Suggate – Founder & Director, Organic & Regenerative Investment Co-operative (ORICoop)
• Mr Damon Holmes – Business Development Manager – Middle East & North Africa, Meat & Livestock Australia
• Ms Dalene Wray AM Wray – Managing Director, OBE Organic®Australian Beef
• Mr Luke Wood – CEO, Escavox
• Ms Natalie Bussau – Founder / Director, Australian Wildflower
• Mr Manujith Samantha (Sam) – International Sales and Category Manager, The Avolution
• Ms Sharon Winsor – Founder, Indigiearth

We appreciate the support of Australian trade commissioners and officials including Todd Miller, Aziz Saba,MBA, Leah Arnold-Phillips, and Moin Anwar.

2-Day Export Ready Workshop in Perth

Last week, the Export Council of Australia and the ASEAN Business Alliance delivered a 2-Day Export Ready Workshop in Perth.

We covered a diverse range of topics, such as market selection, logistics, pricing, market entry strategies, branding, cultural competence, available government assistance, and pitching for success.

Thank you to our keynote speakers:

• Mr. Arnold Jorge – Export Council of Australia (ECA)
• Dr. Sandy Chong – Verity Consulting
• Ms. Stefanie Harter – Export Council of Australia (ECA)
• Mr. James McCrone – Mainfreight
• Mr. Bindhu Holavanahalli – Wrays | Intellectual Property
• Mr. Matthew Braysher and Tim Houghton – Commonwealth Bank
• Mr. Brad Gosling– Export Finance Australia

Each session provided invaluable insights and practical tips.

We thank the businesses who attended the course: Daniel Morris; Asia Pacific Legal ; Brian Liau; Granich Partners; MoxiblockSunscreen Australia; Alice Chang ; Golden Road Australia; Ashley Maung; Win Win Trading; Tim Milson; Noongar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI); Ko Ko Aung; MBC.WA – Myanmar Business Council of Australia; Agata Dharma; Townsend Capital, LLC; Charisse Santiago; City of Cockburn; Michelle Quartermaine (Jennick); Noongar Land Enterprise Group.

We wish you well in your exporting endeavours!

Sydney Build Expo 2024

We are pleased to have sponsored and participated in the Sydney Build Expo 2024. It was a massive and successful event! Thanks to the organisers for a job well done!

Our CEO,Arnold Jorge, presented and convened a panel discussion on: “Export Opportunities for Innovative Australian Products and Services: Applying Strategic Orchestration to Successful Market Entry.”

Our expert panel of James Pearce from Populous; Sam Al Maraee from SAAD Consulting Engineers; and Garry Simonian from Platinum Property Advisors shared valuable insights on their successful global ventures.

Key takeaways from the discussion included the importance of:

• identifying and mitigating risks;
• exploring opportunities in developed and emerging markets such as the US, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia;
• building strong relationships with partners and stakeholders;
• positioning through the right pricing; and
• considering a range of market entry methods, including localisation of products and services.

If you wish to know more about strategic orchestration as a means to expand your global footprint, don’t hesitate to contact ECA at info@export.org.au.