Gulf Investment Forum discusses women's savings

The meet will consider ways on how to invest the savings in the right way, through a dedicated session under the title "Gulf women's investment: where it is heading."

Abdul Rahim Al Naqi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperative Council Federation, said the conference will focus on the multiple economic aspects of the GCC states and explore how to work with the outcomes of the Common Gulf Market, and how to properly implement women's investments, which constitutes a major part of the investments in the region.

Al-Naqi added that the interest that the forum has received from business men and women from the GCC states and the Arab world indicates the organizers' success in choosing appropriate and relevant topics and speakers for the forum. One of the speakers is Mr. Ramiz AL-Assar of the International Bank, who will throw light on the importance of foreign banks in the Gulf region.

Maysoon Jamal, president of G.E.T. group, will discuss the investment of women's savings, and how to implement them in high-profit projects. Mrs. Raja Easa Al Gurg, President of Dubai Business Women Council will review the council's experience in attracting the women's investments and its inclinations. Also Her Highness Sheikha Hessa Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salim Al-Sabah, President of the Council for Arab Business Women, will end the session with a presentation on the obstacles that face women's investments in the Gulf, as well as the nature of current investments.

It is estimated that an amount of Dhs42m is the sum of capital investment by women in banks, which is about 12% of women's deposits in the Gulf banks. 20% of joint investment funds are owned by women, which brings out the need for proper investment avenues that meets the market's requirements.

His Excellency Mr. Adnan Al-Kassar, former Minister of Economy and Trade in Lebanon and President of the General Union of Arab Chambers of Commerce & Industry, will discuss the role of the GCC federation in supporting Arab investments and the difficulties the Federation faces. Another speaker is Mr. Abdulrahman Kokban, General Manager of the Industrial Commercial Chamber in Yemen, who has a working paper on the nature of investment in Yemen, as well as ways to improve trade in the GCC states and the Arab world.

Mrs. Nada Jaber, President of Etisal Event Management, the event organizer, said that speakers at the forum have eight topics which will produce an outline for investments in the Gulf after the introduction of the Common Gulf Market. This will create new horizons for investments in the GCC countries and increase trade in between the GCC states, she added.

Jaber clarified that the great response that the forum has received from business men and women is an indication of the relevance of the topics discussed in the forum and nature of investment in the Gulf. She said that the forum presents an opportunity for the attendees to interact with decision makers and view the latest offerings and products of Gulf companies through the two-day exhibition that accompanies the forum.

Topics for the two-day event are as follows:

Gulf Integration, a Gateway to Arab Integration;

Competition and complementarities between the public and private sectors in the investment area;

The nature of foreign investment in the Gulf and how to improve it;

Attracting foreign companies and Bahrain's experience in the stock market;

The system and benefits of the Dubai International Financial Center, and how to deal with international markets;

The future of the Gulf's financial markets, reasons for its collapse, and how to fix them;

Real Estate Investment in the Gulf: Opportunities and Futuristic Horizons;

Volume of real estate in the future in the GCC states and current methods of financing;

Laws and regulations in property ownership and investment growth obstacles;

The MBC TV experience; Investment in the written media by the Arabic Group, challenges and competition with Radio and Television;

Local banks' service to the community and economy;

The role of law and control section in banks; The Saudi experience in attracting tourism capitals and the importance of environmental tourism in the GCC states;

The importance of Gulf investment in supporting Arabic tourism, and the new investment environment in the tourism sector;

Women's savings and how to implement them in projects with significant economic outcomes;

Dubai Business Women Council's experience in attracting and guiding women investment;

Obstacles that face women investments and current investments' environment;

Laws and legal problems for Gulf investments and The Gulf Chambers Federation's role in supporting Arabic environmental investments.