Abu Dhabi: The importance of financing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and facilitating their access to international markets was emphasised at the Arab Trade and Export Finance Conference held in Dubai.

The conference, attended by 130 delegates representing Arab, regional and international businesses, think-tanks and financial institutions, discussed global trade, the role of finance in export development, risk mitigation and export cost mechanisms.

“We have to achieve regional economic integration and increase intra-Arab trade by facilitating export procedures to help SMEs in growing and boosting their exports,” said Abdul Moneim Mohammad Mahmoud, secretary-general of the Arab Federation for Industrial Exports Development, while speaking at the event.