DIFC welcomes British-UAE All-Party Parliamentary Group
- United Arab Emirates: Wednesday, March 21 - 2007 at 13:12
- PRESS RELEASE
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) today welcomed a delegation of eight members of the British parliament to Dubai.
There were a total of eleven visitors to DIFC, including the British Ambassador, who were met by Nasser Al Shaali, CEO of the DIFC Authority. The Group consisted of: Kevan Jones MP, Chairman of the British-UAE All-Party Parliamentary Group; Janet Anderson MP, former Minister for Broadcasting, Films and Tourism; Jim Dowd MP, former senior Government Whip; David Ruffley MP, Shadow Minister for Work and Pensions; Gregory Barker MP, Shadow Minister for the Environment; Keith Simpson MP, Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs (Middle East); and Michael Fallon MP, former junior Education Minister. British Ambassador, HE Edward Oakden, was also accompanied by Will Tricks, Advisor to HH The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Nicholas Dunne, Quiller Consultants.
The objective of this visit was to further strengthen political and economic ties between the UK and the UAE, and more specifically with Dubai and DIFC. Strong commercial relations between the UK and UAE have long been in existence and annual bilateral trade now exceeds £6 billion (AED 40.24 billion). Dubai in particular attracts many British businesses, and prominent companies such as Barclays Bank, Lloyds and Allen & Overy have now established offices in DIFC.
Nasser Al Shaali, CEO of the DIFC Authority, warmly received the delegation to DIFC: "The British-UAE All-Party Parliamentary Group is an invaluable initiative and we are honoured to have the commitment and support of these distinguished MPs, which will ensure the ongoing development of healthy and successful relations between the UK and the UAE. We believe that DIFC's role in the development of the region's financial industry has further strengthened ties between the two countries. The DIFC today is home to several leading british financial institutions including Barclays, Lloyds TSB, HSBC."
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Notes and Media Contacts »
Amira Abdulla
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2433
Shaima Al Zarouni
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2432
About the DIFC:
The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an onshore hub for global finance. It bridges the time gap between the financial centers of Hong Kong and London and services a region with the largest untapped emerging market for financial services.
In just under two years, over348 firms have registered at the DIFC. They operate in an open environment complemented with world-class regulations and standards. The DIFC offers its member institutions incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership, zero tax on income and profits and no restrictions on foreign exchange. In addition their business benefits from modern infrastructure, operational support and business continuity facilities of uncompromisingly high standards.
The DIFC is made up of the following core bodies:
1. The DIFC Authority (DIFCA) - Responsible for the Companies and Security Registries and attracting financial as well as non-financial institutions to set up in the DIFC. The DIFC Authority is also responsible for developing the financial services industry.
2. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) - An independent, unitary regulatory authority, responsible for the regulation of all DIFC operations. Its principle-based primary legislation is modeled on that used in London and New York and its regulatory regime operates to standards that meet or exceed those in major financial centers. (www.dfsa.ae)
3. The DIFC Courts - An independent court system set up to uphold the provisions of DIFC laws and regulations, the courts provide comprehensive legal redress in civil and commercial matters within the DIFC. The DIFC Courts system is especially designed to deal with all of sophisticated transactions that will be conducted within DIFC. The DIFC Court laws, based on the common law, not only sets out the jurisdiction of the court but also provides for a dispute resolution services, including arbitration and mediation, thus allowing for the independent administration of justice in the DIFC. ( www.difccourts.ae)
DIFC Investments- The creation of DIFC Investments will result in the allocation to it of all non public administration activities previously carried out by DIFC Authority. This will include amongst other things all commercial and other activities such as the operation and management of any current and future subsidiaries, the development of the centre's investment strategy and relevant policies and any other strategic investments or alliances which will further the goals and objectives of the Dubai International Financial Centre and contribute to the fulfillment of the Centre's vision. Some of the companies and organizations that DIFC Investments owns include:
1. The Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) The DIFX is the region's first international financial exchange for equities, bonds, Islamic products, funds, index products and (subject to regulatory approval) derivatives. The target areas of the DIFX for seeking issuers include the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South Africa, Turkey and the Indian sub-continent. The regulator of the DIFX is the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The DIFX is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and its owner is the DIFC Authority. (www.difx.ae)
2. Hawkamah- the first Institute for Corporate Governance in the region, has been established in partnership with a group of international institutions, including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), Dubai School of Government (DSG), Young Arab Leaders (YAL), and the Institute of Management Development (IMD). (www.hawkamah.org).
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