Key Regional Topics Were Oil Price, US Dollar, and Monetary Policy

Dubai, 7 April, 2015 -CFA Society Emirates, the association for financial and investment professionals in the UAE, recently hosted its Annual Forecast Dinner at the Shangri-la Hotel in Dubai.

The event featured four regionally-based investment professionals, including Jean-Paul Pigat, Senior Economist, Emirates NBD; Luciano Jannelli, Head of Investment Strategy, ADCB; Jawad Mian, Managing Editor of Stray Reflections; and Gary Dugan, Chief Investment Officer & Head of Investment Strategy, National Bank of Abu Dhabi. Speaker presentations were followed by a Q&A forum that was moderated by Tamer Bazzari, Chief Executive Officer, Genero Capital LLC.

At the Annual Forecast Dinner, the speakers addressed topics that are critical to the 2015 economic landscape, including monetary policy divergence and financial markets, the US dollar, the European and Japanese macro-environment, and long-term challenges in the Western world.

Oil remains an important economic factor for the region's financial and business community. The featured speakers disagreed on the trajectory of the oil price with half of the speakers anticipating the current oil price will remain steady during the short term, while half expect the oil price to decline further and reach a new low by the end of the year.

The US Federal interest rate was an additional topic of debate. Half of the speakers argued that the US will increase the interest rate during the year. However, the remaining speakers disagreed, citing that the US cannot increase interest rates while the US dollar remains high and quantitative easing policies are underway in the European Union and Japan.

Mr. Amer Khansaheb, President of CFA Society Emirates, said: "At our Annual Forecast Dinner, our distinguished speakers presented on an array of significant economic and financial topics and sparked a lively dialogue among the 130 individuals in attendance. The varying views of our presenters and the audience on key issues such as oil price and monetary policy reflect the importance of bringing together investment professionals that shape financial community perceptions. The CFA Society Emirates will continue to engage our market's financial professionals in informative and influential dialogue." 

Media contacts
For and on behalf of CFA Institute in the GCC and Middle East
Erica Pettit/Vadia Rai @ FTI Consulting
T: +971 (0)4 4372110
erica.pettit@fticonsulting.com / Vadia.rai@fticonsulting.com

CFA Institute EMEA (London)
Philip Lowther/Nicole Haroutunian (Europe, Middle East, Africa)
T: + 44 (20) 75330 9551
Philip.Lowther@cfainstitute.org / Nicole.Haroutunian@cfainstitute.org

About CFA Society Emirates
The CFA Society Emirates Society is an association of local investment professionals consisting of portfolio managers, investment advisors, educators and other financial professionals.  With 600 members, CFA Society Emirates is the largest member society in the GCC region comprising over half of the total number of CFA charterholders in the Gulf. The society also represents a majority of the 4,773 candidates from the region who took the CFA exams in 2009.  With CFA membership in the GCC anticipated to double over the next decade, a significant share of this growth is expected to be in the UAE.

About CFA Institute
CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and credentials. The organisation is a champion for ethical behaviour in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. The end goal: to create an environment where investors' interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. CFA Institute has more than 125,000 members in 145 countries and territories, including 118,000 charterholders, and 144 member societies. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.

© Press Release 2015