Dubai networks in Davos

The delegation comprises of senior management from the Corporate Office including Ahmed Butti, Director General of Dubai Customs, Mahmood Saleh, Executive Director of Shared Services & Secretary General of The Corporate Office, Suhail Al Banna, Chief Technology Officer, Information Systems Department, Ibrahim Mohammed Al Janahi, Regional Manager of Europe in Free Zone Sales , Sultan Al Shamsi, Director of Reform and Modernisation Programme and Adel Al Shirawi, Chief Executive Officer of Tamweel who are providing a united front on behalf of Dubai at this year's event.

With over 2,250 leaders from more than 96 countries in Davos for the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting, the delegation from Dubai has many strategic meetings to attend which will initiate a collaborative framework for discussions to address global issues, such as global citizenship and governance. Their goal and theme of many of the meetings is to 'take responsibility for tough choices' and to share details business and commerce successes.

The delegation has a gruelling schedule during the week and private meetings already attended with public figures include His Highness Sheikh Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Chairman of Economic Development Board of the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Excellency, Dr Youssef Boutros, Minister of Finance of Egypt, and Bassem Awadallah, Minister of Planning & International Cooperation of Jordan.

Strategic meetings have been held with the Abraaj Capital where discussions focused on potential business partnerships and financing opportunities. Other leading organisations such as the World Travel and Tourism Council have met the delegation and harboured intense and useful discussions on the possibilities to support the tourist market. The delegation was able to provide significant insight at a meeting with the World Wide Fund for Nature on sustainable development and areas of improvement. During the meeting with the International Organisation of Standardisation, the group were able to provide first hand accounts and knowledge because of the property boom that Dubai is experiencing, on the importance of building standards in the tourist industry.

Commenting on the event, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman for Nakheel said, "Dubai has in the past decade adopted key reforms and diversification, which has moved the Emirate away from oil based to a services based economy, creating opportunities for global businesses to conduct profitable businesses. The emirate has seen huge investments in IT, media and knowledge-based sectors, transforming what was previously a trading outpost into the regional commercial and technological hub. These reforms are of significant interest to country representatives and global businesses that are at WEF and we have found that our experiences during our private strategic meetings and discussion forums have become vital to the information sharing process whilst harbouring new relations in trade and commerce".

The Dubai delegation, who are represented by Dubai Ports Authority, Istithmar, Tamweel, Dubai Metals and Commodities Centre, Jebel Ali Free Zone Association, joins this five-day elite forum of business leaders and high profile organisations, showcasing the companies role as strategic partners of Dubai and the achievements and contributions in key thematic areas of enabling economic growth; harnessing growth for humanity; building great companies; navigating uncertainty and embracing global citizenship.

"The private meetings that have been arranged are essential for gathering information and engaging in contracts to help sustain our already burgeoning economy. Dubai has already seen the creation of many specialised zones, and has succeeded in synergising several sectors of the economy, and we are also here to discuss and highlight these incredible developments to a global market at a forum which serves as an arena for debate, opinion exchanges and on some levels, a search for new solutions," concluded Bin Sulayem.