News Desk
DUBAI: An impressive lineup of high-level dignitaries is confirmed to participate at AIM Digital, the first digital edition of the Annual Investment Meeting, which will be held from the 20th – 22nd of October 2020.
The world’s foremost dignitaries will come together in one virtual platform to share their in-depth perspectives on key issues focusing on AIM Digital’s six pillars — Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI), Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Startups, Future Cities, and One Belt, One Road.
“We are honoured to welcome the high-level officials who have confirmed their participation in AIM Digital which will certainly raise it to a whole new level; an unforgettable event that will be etched in history. It will be a one-of-a-kind opportunity for participants as they gain knowledge from the very leaders who are shaping our economy,” stated Mr. Dawood Al Shezawi, the Head of the Organising Committee of the Annual Investment Meeting.
AIM Digital 2020 will be participated by the greatest intellects in the industry such as the heads of state, key policymakers, institutional and non-institutional investors, and heads of international institutions, who will discuss risks, challenges, and opportunities in the economic landscape to ultimately achieve recovery and transformation.
In the Opening Ceremony, the Opening Remarks will be delivered by His Excellency Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, the UAE Minister of Economy. It will be followed by the keynote remarks of H.E. Juri Ratas, the Prime Minister of Republic of Estonia; H.E. Rustam Minnikhanov, the President of the Republic of Tatarstan; H.E. Dr. Bandar M. H. Hajjar, the President of Islamic Development Bank Group (IsDB Group); H.E. Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, the Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED); and Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The Global Leaders Debate which will tackle this year’s theme, “Reimagining Economies: The Move Towards a Digital, Sustainable & Resilient Future,” consists of prominent keynote debaters such as Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP); Mohamed Alabbar, the Founder of Emaar Properties, Alabbar Enterprises and Noon.com;Mohammad Abdullah Abunayyan, the Chairman of ACWA Power; and Arkady Dvorkovich, the Chairman of Skolkovo Foundation.This high-level panel will discuss how to restructure economies to become more agile,sustainable and resilient.
The debate is followed by the Special Address of Tarek Amer, the Governor and Chairman of Board of Directors of Central Bank of Egypt, which marks the good relations between Egypt and the UAE, as reflected on the continuously developing political, economic and cultural bonds between the two countries.
James Zhan, the Director of the Investment and Enterprise Division of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), will be one of the speakers for FDI Pillar Session 1 titled“Disruptions to Global Value Chains (GVCs), Trade and Investment in a Changing World.” Aside from talks of an ongoing de-globalization, supported by protectionism and trade wars, the session will analyse the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on trade and investment.
His Excellency Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade will be the Keynote Speaker for FDI Pillar Session 2, “Ministers Roundtable: Adapting to the New Flow of Trade and Investment” which facilitates dialogues with international organizations to discuss the steps that countries are taking to ensure the free flow of trade and investment, building a resilient supply chain, and developing policies to encourage foreign investment within their country.
The FDI Interview Session titled The Impact FDI Decade will feature H.E. Fahad Al Gergawi, the President of the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) and the Chief Executive Officer of Dubai FDI. This interview session will provide strategic context to the global trends and shifts shaping the future of FDI opportunities.
The FPI pillar which aims to provide investors an opportunity to engage in international diversification of portfolio assets and helps them connect with businesses across the world, will feature His Excellency Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, the UAE Minister of State and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Marketwho will present aSpecial Keynote Address on FPI Pillar Session 1.
His Excellency Dr. Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, the UAE Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and SMEs will be the Keynote Speaker for SME Pillar Session 1 titled“Navigate Policy Decisions Beyond the Turbulent Times which will explore the qualities of good policy-making, approaches to longer-term strategic planning, stakeholder consultation and co-responsibility with residents and businesses to improve the business environment for SMEs and shape the strength of economic renewal.
Massimo Falcioni, the Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Credit Insurance, will be one of the panelists for SME Pillar Session 2 that will focus on“Improving Access to Capital for SMEs with Financial Risk Management.”As financial risk management is an important area of management of SMEs, the session will discuss the up-to-date strategies to improve financing access for SMEs and what risk management should SMEs deploy.
H.E. Amir Peretz, the Minister of the Economy of Israel will be the Keynote Speaker for Startup Session 1, one of the event’s most noteworthy moments signifying the recent Israel-UAE Peace Deal, which is believed to have a great potential in paving the way for successful startups collaborations as both countries are driven by the latest technologies and are very open to foreigners.
Najla Al Midfa, the Chief Executive Officer of Sharjah Entrepreneurship Centre (Sheraa) and Jun Ge, the Global CEO of Tojoy Holding Group and Former Global Vice President of Nvidia, Apple & Intel will be among the speakers for Start-up Pillar Session 4,“Re-Building the Start-up Ecosystem – What’s at Stake?”This session will discuss start-ups facing double whammy with a drop of consumer demand and VC investments, Post-COVID crisis and its impact on start-up global ecosystem, improving and implementing policies for the emerging ecosystem, and government initiatives to boost start-ups.
Mohammed Jamal Alsaati, the Director General of IsDB Group Regional Hub, will deliver the Welcome Remarks on Future Cities Pillar Session 3,“The Impact of COVID-19 on Logistics and Accelerating Sustainable Transport Solution.” This session will highlight the impact of COVID-19 on ocean, air and land transport, implementing alternative modes of transport, new sustainable transport solutions and reducing carbon footprint, automating the supply chain to boost production and minimize manual interventions, and the impact of drones on logistics and transportation industry.
Saeed Al Zarouni, the Senior Vice President/Mobile Network of Etisalat Digital will lead the virtual discussion on Future Cities Session 1 that will discuss the Future of 5G, which is one of the major disruptive technologies that will have a considerable impact on the economy. This disruptive technology is anticipated to offer expanded system capacity and more reliability, lower delay rates, as well as decrease power utilisation than 4G.
“I would like to thank our guest dignitaries for choosing AIM Digital as a platform to share their expert views, best practices, and valuable investment strategies that will surely benefit all participants from more than 170 countries. The presence of our guest dignitaries in AIM Digital is also an indication that the Annual Investment Meeting has already made its mark in the investment community, and is being acknowledged by various countries and government officials as one of the best platforms that stimulates investment opportunities and helps in revitalizing the economy. I believe that this year’s digital edition will create numerous business opportunities for the local, regional, and international markets.Despite the challenges, we can all contribute to the economy’s recovery by getting involved in this initiative,” mentioned Mr. Al Shezawi.
For more information on AIM Digital, visit www.aimcongress.com
