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Industry experts meet in Dubai to discuss the future of trade
With the rapidly changing dynamics in a turbulent global economic landscape, the future of trade, and the trade finance that supports it, continues to be a topic for debate.
The extent to which corporates, financial institutions and government agencies are working together to assess future prospects – guiding their constituents to strong growth and reduced risk – and the markets being explored, solutions discussed, and efficiencies unveiled was a key theme of the conference.
With special focus on the importance of ‘seizing opportunities’ for this year’s instalment, GTR MENA provides an unrivalled platform for increasing awareness of the market, presenting the opportunity to hear from leading local and international trade and export finance experts and employing a wide range of session formats and networking activities to facilitate high-quality conversations and business development opportunities. Discussions on Day One centred around how best to capitalise on such opportunities, from the potential trade legacy of Expo 2020 to new trade flows and political relationships, as well as ongoing conversations around the “digitisation journey” being undertaken by many in the market. Strong attention was also paid to the importance of encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship, improving diversity levels and creating a more inclusive environment, with close attention paid to the important work of the SheTrades initiative, as well as tips for exporters on how to “get noticed” in a competitive landscape.
Join GTR on social media and follow the official conference hashtag: #GTRMENA
Hosted by Laura Buckwell, former news anchor for the TV channel City7 TV, Day One of the event welcomed a number of the highest-calibre speakers, all of whom were keen to share their expertise and offer guidance on how best to navigate the current climate. These included Massimo Falcioni, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Credit Insurance (ECI), the UAE federal export credit agency tasked with accelerating and sustaining national economic diversification as well as supporting the export and re-export of goods, services and foreign investment; Dr Karen Remo, recently proclaimed the ‘Female Leader of the Year’ in the Middle East Economic Digest Awards and the co-founder of New Perspective Media Group; and Laura Lane, Global President of Public Affairs for UPS, a former trade negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative and winner of the Washington Business Journal’s ‘Women Who Mean Business’ award.
Both Maninder Bhandari (Director of the Derby Group and former global banker) and Peter Gubbins (CEO & Founder of Global Trade Review) were keen to emphasise that they feel the period of reduced economic growth was thankfully over, with markets now seizing opportunities previously unconsidered in places like Sub-Saharan Africa, the Maghreb and Iraq among others. Bhandari was also keen to stress that downturns in global markets were nothing new, whether in MENA, Asia Pacific or Latin America: “Trade is often a cyclical process and the past 25 years has seen challenges across many markets; what is notable is that each downturn has attracted talented solutions and efforts to think outside the box. These solutions if well thought-out and implemented with resolve lead to improved efficiencies, developments in the blockchain space being an excellent example of this.”
Gubbins, a UK national and owner of UK-based GTR, was equally bullish when talking about the ramifications of the UK’s exit from the European Union and its impact on global, and specifically MENA, trade: “Businesses crave certainty, so whatever people’s individual viewpoints on the merits or otherwise of political decisions, now is the time for global trade to look to move forward, to build relationships and address key issues in pursuit of growth. Nowhere is that better showcased than the unrivalled opportunities provided by events such as GTR MENA, which in its 16th year has become the premier discussion medium across the MENA region.”
Companies who attended in 2020
[attendees]
Testimonials
2020’s breakdown
Media coverage:
- GTR MENA 2020: Reflecting on the region’s role as a hub for trade
- GTR MENA 2020 – looking on the positive side
- New Middle East export credit agency readies for rollout
- Dubai Expo 2020: Mixed picture for UAE trade after ‘world’s greatest show’
Once registered, log-in to GTR Connect to network with fellow delegates, download event materials and more!
2020 event breakdown
Hundreds of industry experts attended GTR MENA 2020 on February 17-8 to discuss the future of trade in the Middle East, including:
– Local and international banks
– Multinationals and SMEs
– Independent financiers
– Commodity brokers and traders
– Insurers and risk managers
– Lawyers and consultants
– Fintech providers
– ECAs & multilaterals
Download the post-event media kit for the 2020 event breakdown, including a list of attending companies, attendee regional and sector statistics and contributed articles.
Download the post-event media kit
Over 90 speakers in 2020:
[speakers]
Venue: Jumeirah Emirates Towers (Jumeirah Ballroom)
Address: Sheikh Zayed Road - United Arab Emirates
Website: https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/dubai/jumeirah-emirates-tower