Service description
We have organised business meeting programmes in the Gulf since 2008, for institutions and trade promotion agencies, chambers of commerce, public and private companies, SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Years of work on the ground have given us a network of qualified contacts in the region. That is what turns a programme into a set of conversations with people who can make decisions, rather than a list of meetings.
We prefer a few well-chosen meetings to many with no real capacity to generate an opportunity.
The difference between a sales trip and a meeting programme lies in who sits across the table from you. Flying to Dubai and lining up coffees with whoever accepts the invitation uses up the same week and the same plane ticket as meeting four people who can make decisions. Where it makes sense, the work starts before you arrive: we introduce the company, explain the project and validate initial interest, so that the meeting does not start from scratch. Then comes the follow-up, which is where most opportunities fall through.
High-value meetings
Each meeting is selected for its commercial potential, with preparation beforehand and follow-up afterwards.
What does our service include?
Identifying and selecting relevant contacts
We start from your commercial objective, not from a generic list of contacts. Fewer, better-chosen meetings achieve more than a full programme.
Coordinating and confirming meetings with decision-makers
We look for the person who can decide or recommend internally. A meeting with someone who has no decision-making authority costs the same and goes nowhere.
Optimising programmes to make the best use of time and maximise results
Sequence, locations and travel times worked out so that the programme genuinely fits into the days you are here.
Preparing each meeting in advance
Who the counterpart is, what interests them, and what is and is not advisable to raise in a first meeting in the Gulf.
Pre-meeting advice and post-meeting follow-up
Follow-up is where most opportunities are lost. We handle it from here, in the counterpart's time zone and language.
Everything this service covers
We have organised business meeting programmes in the Gulf since 2008, for institutions, trade promotion agencies, large companies, SMEs and entrepreneurs.
Contact selection
- Research into contacts who fit the objective
- Decision-makers, executives and owners
- Buyers, potential partners and distributors
- Public bodies and authorities where applicable
- Pre-screening by sector, size and actual capacity
Programme coordination
- Contact, follow-up and confirmation of each meeting
- Optimisation of timing and travel
- Adjustments for availability and priorities
- Programme confirmed before you travel
- Programmes across several Gulf countries
Preparatory work
- Advance introduction of the company and the project
- Validation of the counterpart's initial interest
- Identifying needs and the context of the opportunity
- Preliminary conversations where it makes sense
- Recommended approach for the meeting
Client briefing
- Information on the company and the contact
- Profile, position and decision-making authority
- Business culture and local protocol
- Possible negotiation topics
- Specific objectives for each meeting
During your days in the market
- Attending meetings with you where it adds value
- Language support and interpreting
- Coordination of transfers and logistics
- Institutional meetings
- Programme adjustments as you go
Follow-up afterwards
- Local follow-up on each meeting
- Exchange of documents and next steps
- New introductions and additional meetings
- Initial support with negotiation
- Commercial continuity throughout the year
Frequently asked questions
How many meetings does a programme include?
It depends on the sector and the days available, but the goal is never the number. We prefer a few well-chosen meetings to many with no real capacity to move an opportunity forward, and we make that clear from the start.
Do you work with chambers of commerce and trade promotion agencies?
Yes, since 2008. It is an important part of the firm's work, alongside programmes for private companies of all sizes.
Do you organise programmes in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries?
Yes, and several countries can be combined in a single trip. The UAE and Saudi Arabia are the two markets where we have our own team; elsewhere in the Gulf, programmes are arranged according to the project.
Do you guarantee that the meetings will result in a sale?
No, and be wary of anyone who does. What we do control is who you sit down with, that the meeting is prepared and that there is follow-up afterwards. Closing depends on your offer and on the client's buying cycle.
Do we need a company in the UAE to use this service?
No. In fact, it is a service commonly used before incorporating: it is a way to test whether the market responds before setting up a structure.
Will you come with us to the meetings?
Yes, where it adds value. In a first contact, the presence of someone known in the market usually changes the tone of the conversation, and we can also help with the language. The specific scope is agreed when the programme is defined.
What is a business meeting programme?
It is a programme of B2B meetings prepared in advance with counterparts selected and confirmed according to the client's commercial objectives.
What type of company does it make sense for?
For companies that want to validate a market or find clients, partners, distributors, specifiers, projects or institutional contacts without wasting time on meetings of little relevance.
How far in advance does a meeting programme need to be prepared?
The earlier, the better. For an international meeting programme we usually recommend several weeks, especially if you are seeking senior decision-makers, institutions or dates close to trade fairs. The actual timeframe depends on the sector and availability.
How do you select contacts?
We start from the client's objective and filter by sector, size, role, decision-making power, relevance and real fit.
Can you secure meetings with decision-makers?
That is the aim, whenever it is feasible. We do not guarantee that every meeting will be with the CEO or owner, but we prioritise the person with real capacity to move the opportunity forward.
Can you contact distributors?
Yes. We identify, contact and qualify potential distributors.
Can you identify potential partners?
Yes. We can also carry out a preliminary partner search phase before finalising the meeting programme.
Do you prepare information on each counterpart?
Yes. We can provide a briefing on the company, the person, the context, objectives and relevant points before the meeting.
Do you help prepare the meetings?
Yes. We review the message, presentation, objectives, business culture and recommended approach.
Do you follow up afterwards?
Yes, when it is included in the scope. We can follow up, exchange documents and coordinate next steps.
Can you support a subsequent negotiation?
Yes, especially in the early stages. For specialised legal matters, we coordinate with legal advisers where applicable.
Can you organise meeting programmes for groups or trade missions?
Yes. We have also been working for years with chambers of commerce, trade promotion agencies and business delegations.
Do you also work with entrepreneurs and SMEs?
Yes. The service is adapted to institutions and large companies as well as to SMEs and entrepreneurs with a clear commercial objective.
This service is engaged under theterms of engagementcommon to all our services.
Who is accountable for this work
Institutional endorsement“A highly valuable assest to truly consider for strating and growing businesses in the arab countries.”
H.E. José Eugenio SalarichAmbassador of Spain to the United Arab Emirates (2012–2017) · Embassy of Spain in the UAERead in full
As a former Ambassador of Spain in the United Arab Emirates […] and having dealt with Jacob directly, I would like to state my recognition for the devoted, impeccable and passionate support to the Embassy of Spain and its companies looking to explore the market. A highly valuable assest to truly consider for strating and growing businesses in the arab countries.
Institutional endorsement“He has a broad knowledge of the country, its sectors and on how to do business here in the UAE.”
Erik Rovina MardonesCommercial Counsellor at the Economic and Commercial Office · Embassy of Spain in the UAERead in full
I know Jacobo since I arrived in Dubai in 2015, when I was posted as commercial counsellor of the commercial office of the Embassy of Spain in Dubai. Jacobo had been working there as international trade advisor way before me, in 2008. He has been in Dubai since then and has worked in different sectors and companies. As a result of that, he has a broad knowledge of the country, its sectors and on how to do business here in the UAE.
Client · United Arab Emirates“Jacob can attest and adopt any new area he is welling to explore and enhance his relationship with other.”
Hamad ALMansouriManaging Director · Al Benaa Real Estate Inv.Read in full
I have first met Jacob around 2014 when he approached us to explore new business opportunities in Abu Dhabi and other Emirates. I would recommend my friend Jacob for any international position. Jacob can attest and adopt any new area he is welling to explore and enhance his relationship with other and he can be a team player. he's very detail oriented and he values the opportunity to collaborate with others.
Let's talk for 30 minutes
First conversation free of charge. No obligation. No sales pitch. We tell you whether the UAE or the Gulf countries are the right fit for your case. And if they are not, we tell you that too.