Belselah discusses with Swiss Ambassador preparations for Dubai 2003

Mr Belselah explained that the Swiss Minister of Finance and current Swiss President, Mr Kaspar Villiger, would be chairing the next meeting to be held in Dubai. This year in Washington DC, the honour went to the National Economy Minister of Oman, Mr Ahmed Makki.

His comments came during a visit of the Swiss Ambassador to the UAE Dr Francois Barras and the Consul General of Switzerland in Dubai Jean-Claude Hagmann to meet Mr Belselah and discuss the preparations and the major events that Switzerland will organise while chairing the meetings and to find out more about the status of the preparations in the UAE to assist with these events.

The Swiss Ambassador assured Mr Belselah that the participation of Switzerland in the meetings will be very high profile as it is expected that the Swiss delegation will include a significant number of senior financial and business leaders in addition to the official delegation. He also added that Switzerland would organise many activities on all levels during the meetings.

The Ambassador also praised the speed and efficiency of the Dubai 2003 preparations adding that the UAE enjoys an excellent international reputation through its capabilities to host such a big economic event that will effectively turn the UAE into the financial capital of the world for two weeks

The General Coordinator showed the Swiss officials the preparations underway to host this event in Dubai, the first Arab City to host the Annual Meetings that will also be the biggest event of its kind ever held in the Middle East. He also informed them that the state of the art Convention Centre now being built to host the meetings would be ready in January 2003

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund were first held in Washington DC in 1946. They are hosted by an international city one year in three. Dubai and the UAE was selected because of its highly developed transportation and logistics infrastructure, growing importance as a financial hub and its established position as an oasis of opportunity.

ENDS