Global Business Forum on Latin America to Explore Trade, Investment Opportunities

Experts attending the Global Business Forum, GBF, on Latin America will look at opportunities where the Gulf Co-operation Council, GCC, may act as a facilitator of economic co-operation and investment between the Middle East and Latin America.

Organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the event will be held here on 9th and 10th November.

The countries of Latin America are some of the most promising emerging markets in the world and the GBF offers an opportunity to exchange ideas and find sustainable solutions for the challenges facing these countries when it comes to opening up their economies to the world, the organisers said.

In sync with this year’s theme called Shifting Synergies, the GBF will focus on different aspects of local and regional economies, as well as the economies of Latin American countries. The forum will also highlight Dubai’s position as a gateway to and from the region, and point out the shift in capital hubs around the world.

"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," said Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

"The forum catalyses co-operation 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," he added.

The list of speakers at the event includes heads of state from Latin America, as well as ministers of trade, economy, and foreign affairs, academics, professionals and decision makers.

The event will start with a panel discussion titled Winds of Change - New Directions in Latin America, bringing together the UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Al Mansouri; Leonel Antonio Fernandez, former president of the Dominican Republic, and from Argentina, Juan Manuel Vaquer, President for Latin America at DuPont.

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World, will speak at the second session, titled New Models - Facilitating the Global Economy’s Infrastructure. Session three, called Innovating to Get the Foundations Right, will see Jaana Remes, Partner at McKinsey Global Institute, the USA, look at new approaches to developing and financing urban infrastructure, and outline Latin America’s potential.

An interview with Reem Al Hashimy, the UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation, and Director-General of the Expo 2020 Dubai Bureau, will detail the importance of Latin America within the UAE’s international focus and the potential for collaboration around the expo and beyond.

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.