High-Profile Speakers to Attend Global Business Forum on Latin America 2016

Saturday 05 November 2016

Dubai - MENA Herald: A list of high-profile expert speakers is slated to attend the Global Business Forum (GBF) on Latin America 2016, organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry on November 9 and 10, 2016, at Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai. Bearing the theme “Shifting Synergies”, this year’s Forum – organised under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai – will touch on different aspects of the local and regional economies, as well as the economies of Latin America. The Forum explores opportunities for the GCC to act as a facilitator for economic cooperation and investment between the Middle East and Latin America. The Forum also strives to highlight Dubai’s position as gateway for and to the region, and point out the shift in capital hubs around the world. His Excellency Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber, said: “Hosting the Global Business Forum on Latin America here in Dubai resonates with the Chamber’s strategy to hold international events that serve to cement Dubai’s status as a global business centre and a magnet for experts and creatives who can create solutions for future challenges, attracting capital and investments in the process.” H.E. Buamim added: “The Forum catalyses cooperation between the UAE and the countries of Latin America. It serves to identify investment opportunities, revitalise existing trade routes, and create new markets that bring profits to key strategic sectors in both regions. Top decision makers from these countries are set to participate in the Forum, alongside international experts and entrepreneurs seeking insight into the investment culture and demand in the UAE and the region.” The list of speakers includes heads of state from Latin America, as well as ministers of trade, economy, and foreign affairs, as well as high-profile academics, professionals, and decision makers. Day one kicks off with a panel discussion titled “Winds of Change – New Directions in Latin America”, bringing together H.E. Sultan Saeed Nasser Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy; H.E. Leonel Antonio Fernandez, Former President of the Dominican Republic; and, from Argentina, Juan Manuel Vaquer, President for Latin America at Dupont. H.E. Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, will speak at the second session, titled “New Models – Facilitating the Global Economy’s Infrastructure”, while session three – “Innovating to Get the Foundations Right” – will see Jaana Remes, Partner at McKinsey Global Institute, USA, looks at innovative new approaches to developing and financing urban infrastructure and outlines the potential for Latin America. Also on the agenda for day one is an interview with H.E. Raul Fernando Sendic Rodriguez, Vice President of Uruguay, who shares his perspective on the potential for Mercosur – South America’s oldest free-trade area, headquartered in Montevideo, Uruguay, and bringing together Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Venezuela – to forge stronger ties globally, and the role Uruguay is playing as a pioneer of private-sector-led growth. Meanwhile, an interview with H.E. Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Director General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, will touch on the importance of Latin America within the UAE’s international focus and the potential for collaboration around the Expo and beyond. Elsewhere, in a session titled “Market Spotlight – Argentina: The Big Opening”, Mario Blejer, Vice Chairman of Argentina’s Banco Hipotecario; Daniel Melhem, Managing Partner of Argentina’s Knightsbridge Partners; and Juan Pablo Tripodi, Executive Vice President of Argentina Investment and Trade Promotion Agency, discuss the country’s President Mauricio Macri’s achievements and plans to turn Argentina into an investor-friendly growth economy – and the business opportunities this opens up. In a session titled “Sector Insight – Energy: The Challenge of Renewables”, Hector Olea, President and CEO of Mexico’s Gauss Energia, will outline the progress of and outlook for investment into renewables across Latin America and the GCC. This will be followed by 15 minutes of interactive discussion with the audience. In another session titled “Regional Roundtables: Understanding the Middle East – A Business Perspective”, Philip McCrum, Chief Economist at EY UAE, offers international delegates a chance to get a clear overview of growth opportunities and risks in Middle Eastern markets from a leading expert on the region. The session, moderated by Simon Baptist, Chief Economist at EIU Singapore, will be followed by questions and discussion. “The Do’s and Don’ts of Business in Latin America” session will follow with valuable insight from H.E. Manuel A. Gonzalez Sanz, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship; H.E. Gustavo Leite, Paraguay’s Minister of Industry and Trade; and H.E. Rogelio Garza, Vice Minister of Industry and Trade, United Mexican States. Day two of GBF – Latin America will begin with a recap of the first day’s discussions and an overview of the sessions still to come with Marcos Troyjo, Director of BRICLab Columbia University, USA. This will be followed by a session titled “Market Spotlight – The Pacific Alliance: Rethinking Trade Ties” will discuss the Pacific Alliance bringing together Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru, as well as the opportunities this opens up for business between these countries and the GCC. Speaking at the session will be Ronald Bown, Chairman of the Board of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association; Luis Guillermo Plata, President of Colombia’s ProBogota; Jose Luis Silva Martinot, Peru’s Former Minister of Trade and Tourism. Meanwhile, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Nasser Al Madani, Vice Chairman of the UAE’s World Free Zones Organisation; and Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Airports, explore the power of special economic zones in a session titled “Accelerating Diversification – The Power of Zones”. In the “Understanding the Potential – of Halal – Opportunities in the Islamic Economy” session, Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Islamic Economy Development Centre (DIEDC), and Mohamed El Zoghbi, President of Fambras, Brazil, explores the potential of the Islamic Economy, Latin American interest in halal certification, GCC investors’ interest in Latin American food companies, and the role Dubai can play in helping develop halal opportunities. H.E. Vicente Fox, Mexico’s Former President and current President of Centro Fox, is set to speak in an interview about his country’s dramatic economic transformation over the past two decades, as well as the future of Mexico and Latin America as global synergies shift. Day two of the Forum is set to shed light on the tourism sector, in particular, in the “Sector Insight – Tourism: Capitalising on the Potential” session, where Xavier Lopez Ancona, President and Chief Executive Officer of KidZania Mexico, will provide their perspectives on that potential, then take part in an interactive discussion with the audience. Meanwhile, Leonardo Letelier, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, of Brazil’s Sitawi; Juan Quiros, President of Investe Sao Paulo; and Marcos Troyjo, Director of BRICLab Columbia University, USA, examine the “perfect storm of challenges” facing Brazil, and how the recession has encouraged an opening towards private-sector financing and a search for new global partners. The session is titled “Market Spotlight – Brazil: Opportunities at a Time of Crisis”. The Forum wraps up with a session summing up the inaugural Global Business Forum on Latin America, with John Yearwood, Executive Board Chairman of the International Press Institute, USA. The Global Business Forum on Latin America 2016 is one of a series of global business forums organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry since 2012 in an effort to explore new investment opportunities in a number of emerging economies around the world, including Africa, Latin America, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The Forum provides an ideal platform to support the projects of the future by consolidating efforts and ideas, and investing in serious measures to develop business.

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