DFM concludes successful international investor conference in London

High-profile London-based investment institutions and funds took part in the conference, including Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and others.

On the first day of the conference, Essa Kazim, Chairman of DFM, presented a comprehensive overview of the goals for holding the conference. He also spoke about investment opportunities in DFM, as well as the market's financial performance and results. Representatives of listed companies also each delivered 15-minutes presentations about their financial activities, expansion plans and operations.

Kazim also attended a media roundtable on the sidelines of the conference. He spoke about the storing financial performance of the DFM Company, which recorded AED563 million in net profit during the first quarter of this year.

Commenting on the outcome of the conference, Kazim said: 'The London conference was a great success. The strong participation of institutional investment companies and fund managers confirms that DFM has taken an proactive initiative by organising this conference. We are delighted that DFM is the first regional bourse to sponsor such a forward-looking initiative, which demonstrates DFM's vision to support listed companies and create a new segment of strategic investors as per the market's long-term strategy.'

He added: 'The conference proved to a unique opportunity for interaction between listed companies and major institutional investors. The success of this conference will motivate us to organise similar conference worldwide, including in the United States, United Kingdom and Far East, over the next 12-months.'

Kazim extended his appreciation to the participating listed companies, institutions that sponsored the event, and London-based investment institutions. He also thanked the DFM team in Dubai that contributed to the success of the event through their supervision and coordination.

Saad Abdul Razak, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai Islamic Bank (DIB) Group, said: 'We extend our appreciation to DFM for this initiative aimed at promoting the investment opportunities in DFM and its listed companies. The conference is a practical and efficient tool to target institutional investors and attract international funds to invest in the local market. We believe that this initiative reflects DIB's and Dubai's vision to attract strategic investors and bring increased stability to the local bourse.'

He added: 'DIB attracted tremendous attention at the conference, which was reflected through the number of meetings held on the sidelines of the event. Fund managers expressed interest to learn more about the exceptional growth recorded by DIB and the bank's achievements in different fields. They inquired about Islamic banking, risk management and the reasons behind the unprecedented growth of the banking industry in the region.'

'The bank's participation in this conference, through a senior delegation of its heads of business units, reflects our high level of interest in this initiative. We will continue to support such initiatives launched by DFM to promote our financial sector in major business cities worldwide.'

Adel Ali, Chief Executive Officer, Air Arabia, said: 'We were extremely pleased with the international investor conference, which provided us with a unique opportunity to reach out to the investment community in London. As the youngest member of the DFM family, we look forward to our listing in the near future and to participating in similar events in the months to come.'

Adel Al Shirawi, Chief Executive Officer, Tamweel, said: 'Reaching out to the overseas investment community is central to the long-term growth strategy of Tamweel, which recently amended its articles of association to allow foreign ownership of up to 40 per cent of the firm's share capital. Following the success of the recent London road show, then, we look forward to continuing to work with DFM to attract increased foreign investment.'

Arif Amiri, Director - Investor Relations, Corporate Governance and Business Development, Emaar Properties, said: 'The Dubai Financial Market road show and conference in the UK provided Emaar Properties with an ideal platform to showcase the company's projects and growth strategies to an international audience. With international investor interest in the Dubai property sector now at an all-time high, the DFM road show will further build Dubai's global standing as an ideal destination for overseas investment.'