Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry

What Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry does

Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a Berlin-based, non-profit membership organization founded in 1976 that promotes bilateral trade and investment between Germany and the 22 countries of the Arab world. It serves German and Arab companies — including the German Mittelstand and larger corporates — by operating a bilateral business network of more than 300 German companies active in Arab markets, and convenes flagship events such as the Arab-German Energy Forum, the Gulf-European Business Dialogue, and the Arab-German Business Forum.

The chamber delivers its services through four primary channels: paid and free publications on Arab markets, recurring forums and delegations that match German and Arab firms, trade and visa support services for members doing business across the region, and strategic cooperation agreements with counterpart chambers (Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Kuwait) and institutional partners such as Siemens Energy, DIHK, BDI, DLA Piper, and the German University in Cairo. It also runs capacity-building programs funded by German federal ministries (BMWi/BMWK, BMZ).

Ghorfa's business model rests on membership dues, publication sales (free for members, paid for non-members), event and forum participation fees, and fees for trade and visa services, supplemented by public-project funding. Leadership is headed by President Olaf Hoffmann and Secretary General Abdul Aziz Al-Makhalafi, with a staff in the 11-50 range. The chamber operates without disclosed proprietary technology platforms; service delivery is relationship- and event-driven, with the underlying asset being its 50-year institutional network and recognized bilateral mandate.

Name

Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Legal name

Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Website

https://ghorfa.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a Berlin-based non-profit membership chamber, founded in 1976, that promotes bilateral trade between German companies and counterparts across 22 Arab countries through events, publications, delegations, and trade and visa services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Chamber of Commerce and Trade Facilitation Services

akta.pro primary industry

Multilateral Diplomacy & International Representation (UN, Regional Bodies) (BPAIAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Bilateral trade facilitation
• Chamber of commerce services
• Business matchmaking events
• Trade document certification
• Economic cooperation advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Companies pay membership fees to join the chamber and access exclusive benefits, networking opportunities, and member-only services.
2. Publication Sales and Distribution: The chamber publishes and distributes various economic handbooks, sector guides, country profiles, the SOUQ magazine, and business directories. Publications are free for members and partners but available for a fee to non-members (plus shipping costs).
3. Event and Forum Participation: Revenue generated through participation fees for forums, conferences, delegation trips, and seminars organized by Ghorfa.
4. Trade and Visa Services: The chamber provides trade document services and visa services to facilitate business relations between Germany and Arab countries, generating service fees.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a non-profit membership chamber that promotes bilateral economic cooperation between Germany and the 22 Arab League member states. It delivers its services through membership programs, publications (SOUQ magazine, economic handbooks, country profiles, industry books, business directories, trade statistics, newsletter), events (Arab-German Energy Forum, Arab-German Business Forum, delegation trips), seminars on law and intercultural communication, and trade document and visa services for businesses engaged in Arab-German trade.

Product overview

Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry is a membership-based organization serving as a bridge for economic activities between Germany and Arab countries. Founded in 1976, it provides a platform for trade facilitation through publications (including SOUQ magazine, Business Directory, Economic Handbooks, Industry Books, Country Profiles, Foreign Trade Statistics, and Newsletter), events (Arab-German Energy Forum, Arab-German Business Forum, Delegation Trips), seminars on law and intercultural communication, trade document services, and visa services. The organization also offers membership programs with exclusive benefits for companies engaged in Arab-German trade.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SOUQ: Bilingual (German/English) magazine publication covering Arab-German economic relations, trade topics, and bilateral cooperation. Published regularly as the chamber's flagship publication.
• Arab-German Yearbook
• Business Directory
• Healthcare Guide
• Education Guide
• Arab-German Energy Forum
• Arab-German Health Forum
• Gulf-European Business Dialogue

Products and services

• Membership Program
• SOUQ Magazine
• Economic Handbooks (Wirtschaftshandbücher)
• Industry Books (Branchenbücher)
• Business Directory
• Country Profiles (Länderprofile)
• Foreign Trade Statistics (Außenhandelsstatistiken)
• Newsletter
• Arab-German Energy Forum
• Arab-German Business Forum
• Delegation Trips (Delegationsreisen)
• Seminars on Law and Intercultural Communication
• Trade Document Service (Handelsdokumenten-Service)
• Visa Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Arab-German trade volume reached 62.3 billion euros in 2025, up 8.02% year-over-year.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• DLA PiperminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 25 November 2025Ghorfa collaborated with DLA Piper (law firm), the Union of Gulf Cooperation Council Chambers, and the Gulf Research Center to organize the Gulf-European Business Dialogue 2025 conference in Frankfurt, with over 60 economic leaders, ambassadors, and experts participating.
• Siemens EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Siemens Energy co-organizes the Arab-German Energy Forum with Ghorfa. The 14th edition was held on October 15, 2025, in Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM), with approximately 120 decision-makers and energy experts attending. Siemens Energy serves as a key strategic partner for Ghorfa's flagship energy forum series.
• Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 September 2025Ghorfa signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry during an official visit to Berlin in September 2025. The agreement aims to strengthen economic and investment cooperation between the business communities of both countries and build sustainable partnerships.
• German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DIHK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDIHK (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag) co-organizes the Arab-German Business Forum with Ghorfa, gathering government representatives, business leaders, and investors to discuss economic partnership themes including AI, industrial transformation, and digital public services.
• BDI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBDI, the Federation of German Industries, is listed as a German economic association partner of Ghorfa, collaborating on economic policy and industrial cooperation between Germany and Arab countries.
• Qatar Chamber of Commerce and IndustryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhorfa collaborates with the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry on joint publications including the Qatar Business Guide and Qatar-focused economic reports.
• Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and IndustryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhorfa co-publishes the Kuwait Economic Handbook with the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Embassy of the State of Kuwait.
• German University in Cairo (GUC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhorfa signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the German University in Cairo, represented by its Continuing Education Center, on July 23, 2025, to strengthen Arab-German cooperation in education, training, and skills development.
• Arab Embassies in GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhorfa maintains a network of Arab embassies in Germany as part of its governance and partner structure, collaborating on bilateral economic promotion, trade missions, and market intelligence.
• German Embassies in Arab CountriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGhorfa collaborates with German embassies in Arab countries as part of its network structure, facilitating economic diplomacy and German business presence across Arab markets.
• Joint Chambers (Bilateral Chambers)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGhorfa works with Joint Chambers as part of its network structure to extend bilateral economic cooperation activities across multiple sectors and regions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ghorfa_germany
• Facebookfacebook.com/Ghorfa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ghorfa-germany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry