This sentiment was on full display at the annual gala dinner of the Swiss Business Council UAE (SBC), where diplomats, business leaders, and industry representatives gathered to celebrate milestones in a relationship that is growing deeper each year.

A Thriving Swiss Presence in the Emirates

In his keynote address, Michael Lane, Chairman of the Swiss Business Council, highlighted the organisation’s rapid expansion, which he described as one of the most active expats’ organisations across the UAE. «The Swiss Business Council now represents more than 400 members and a network of nearly 1,500 contacts — and we keep growing,» Lane noted, adding that 2024 and 2025 were the SBC’s most successful years to date.

Lane described the Council as a «dynamic hub for Swiss expertise and Swiss-UAE collaboration», supported by a strong network across all seven emirates and an increasingly visible presence back home in Switzerland.

He credited much of the Council’s momentum to Team Switzerland, a coordinated ecosystem comprising the Embassy of Switzerland in Abu Dhabi, the Consulate General and Swiss Business Hub Middle East in Dubai, Switzerland Tourism, and the SBC. «This collaboration is more than symbolic,» Lane said. «It enables high-level missions, policy engagement, innovation forums and meaningful business exchanges.»

High-Level Attendance Underscores Strength of Relations

This year’s gala drew an impressive lineup of distinguished guests, including:

• H.E. Arthur Mattli (picture above),  Ambassador of Switzerland to the UAE and Bahrain

• H.E. Angelika Schempp, Consul General of Switzerland in Dubai and Head of the Swiss Business Hub Middle East
  
  
• Consuls general from Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia
  
  
• Senior officials from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  
  
• The COO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation
  
  
• Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and CEO of the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)
  
  

Lane described the evening as «another memorable celebration of Swiss-Emirati partnership, community, and shared ambition.»

Lord of the Matterhorn 2025: Ahmed Bin Sulayem Honoured

The gala’s most anticipated moment was the presentation of the 2025 Lord of the Matterhorn Award to H.E. Ahmed Bin Sulayem, the long-serving Executive Chairman and CEO of DMCC — the UAE’s largest free zone and a major magnet for Swiss companies in Dubai.

In his laudation, Ambassador Arthur Mattli praised Bin Sulayem’s pivotal contribution to Swiss-Emirati business ties. Mattli emphasised the mutual respect, shared ambition, and enduring trust that define relations between the two countries.

DMCC today hosts more than 26,000 member companies, including over 450 Swiss firms, a concentration unmatched elsewhere in the region. The free zone’s Swiss Tower has become emblematic of the Alpine nation’s economic footprint in the Middle East.

In a statement, Bin Sulayem called the title an «honorary symbol of the enduring partnership and mutual respect between the United Arab Emirates and the Swiss Confederation.»

(Images: Ivan Schultheiss)

Swiss Business Hub Middle East Marks 20 Years

Another major milestone celebrated at the gala was the 20th anniversary of the Swiss Business Hub Middle East, the official Swiss trade and investment promotion office for the region.

Consul General Angelika Schempp highlighted the Hub’s extraordinary expansion:

• 34 Swiss SMEs supported in 2007 → over 800 in 2024
  
  
• 48 services provided in 2007 → nearly 1,800 last year

Schempp underlined that success is ultimately measured in people, not numbers.
 «Our goal is to remove barriers, open doors, and help companies arrive with the right product, mindset, and plan to grow in the GCC,» she said.

She identified manufacturing & engineering, sustainable infrastructure & clean tech, and ICT & advanced technologies as current focus sectors — all areas where Swiss innovation aligns with the UAE’s strategic ambitions in AI, clean energy, advanced manufacturing, and digital transformation.

Schempp also pointed to a broader regional expansion, with collaboration underway in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, reflecting Switzerland’s growing commercial footprint across the GCC.

Volunteers and Sponsors: The Backbone of the SBC

Lane took time to thank the SBC’s fully voluntary Board of Directors, as well as Executive Director Leticia Marotta and her team. «Everything we do — including tonight — is funded solely by membership fees, partners, and sponsors,» he emphasised.

Looking Ahead: A Promising 2026 and a Historic Anniversary

Next year, the Swiss Business Council UAE will mark its 30th anniversary — three decades of building bridges between Switzerland and one of the world’s most dynamic economies.

Lane said the SBC plans to:

• Strengthen bilateral engagement
  
  
• Expand sector groups and knowledge platforms
  
  
• Boost visibility in Switzerland
  
  
• Welcome a new generation of Swiss professionals to the UAE
  
  

«The future of Swiss-UAE relations is promising,» Lane said. «And the Swiss Business Council will continue to play a vital role in shaping that future.»

For the Swiss community in the Emirates, the message was unmistakable: 2026 will be a year of opportunity—and the Swiss-UAE partnership is stronger than ever.