Hedge Funds World commences today

The two-day conference, which kicked off today at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai and will continue through Wednesday, 5 February, hosts top economists from across the Middle East, Europe, the US and Asia and features top international and regional speakers from the world of hedge funds including Dr Christoph Moeller, CEO of Man Investment Products, Roy Gardner, General Manager and Chief Financial Strategist at the Saudi American Bank and Ibrahim Ghargour, Head of the Treasury/Asset Management at Investcorp Bank.

In his keynote address this morning, Dr Christoph Moeller discussed global developments in the industry as well as future trends and challenges in the marketplace, stressing the need for investors to understand how best to protect their investments in today's turbulent financial market conditions.

"After nearly a decade of buoyant markets and relatively smooth sailing, it is vitally important for the alternative investment industry to help institutional asa well as retail investors protect their portfolios through the tougher times," commented Moeller.

"Hedge funds offer greater flexibility in trading style and execution than mutual funds whilst their low correlation with traditional investment markets ensure that their skill-based investment strategies continue to grow."

Discussion on the first day of the conference centred on general growth of the hedge fund industry, asset flows into the industry in 2001 and 2002, the enhancement and diversification of a traditional portfolio by adding structured products and future expectations for the hedge funds market worldwide.

The second day of the conference will focus on capacity and fund manager selection and hedge fund styles, strategies and products. Key note speaker of the day, Victoria Owen, Director of Structured Products, Man Investment Products, will focus on capitalising on hedge fund structured products and understanding their complex structures.

Ms Owen will guide delegates through the evolution of structured hedge fund products, discussing how the addition of a structured product can benefit the investor and providing an overview of CFO's as an attractive investment opportunity and how they are used in structured products.

The principal sponsor of the event, Man Investment Products is a global leader in the alternative investment industry with around US$23.1 billion under management around the world.

"Man Investment has had a strong presence in the Middle East region since we established our first office in Bahrain in 1985," said Antoine Massad, Associate Director and Head of Middle East & Asia at Man Investment Products and Chairman of the Conference. "Currently contributing approximately 20% of Man's total sales, this region is a key player in our global business strategy."

Explaining his company's ongoing initiative in sponsoring this annual event, Massad said: "Our role as a leading specialised company dedicated to providing alternative investments does not stop with engineering innovative and customised products for our clients. Man has a commitment to create further awareness of the alternative investment industry, whilst simultaneously fostering its growth."