DUBAI, 17th April, 2017 (WAM) -- On the sidelines of celebrating Thomson Reuters 150th anniversary in MENA, government and business leaders gathered in Dubai International Financial Centre to kick off an exclusive three-day seminar series.
In his opening remarks, Nadim Najjar, MENA Managing Director of Thomson Reuters said, "The Middle East sits at the crossroads of the world for millennia. It has welcomed people from every continent, taking on new traditions, building on the foundations of knowledge and innovating with technology to develop into a region, and Thomson Reuters was there at each step along the way, which makes this event much more than just an anniversary."In a session moderated by Dr. Nasser Saidi, President of Nasser Saidi and Associates, discussions centred around how the Gulf states are pushing the boundaries of social, economic and technological development with their ambitious economic plans and how businesses in the Middle East can and should respond. Yaser AbuShaban, Principal at Mercer Wealth, commented on how well the UAE has been able to attract and retain talented individuals from all over the world. This has been consolidated by enabling initiatives such as wide-spread ownership of property and long-term residencies. Faisal Mokadem, Advisor to the UAE Federal Competitiveness and Statistics Authority, added, "We are in a new era where we cannot count on oil revenues, and therefore governments are coming up with new frameworks, such as the UAE and its 2020 vision which is set to the right framework where the private sector will play a bigger role."Reuters Middle East Correspondent, Tom Arnold, moderated a session on the outlook for finance in MENA with respect to low oil prices, the role of banks, private equity firms and government funds and hotspots for the coming year or two. The panellists agreed that two exciting areas for the Middle East marketplace are the consumer and technology industries. Commenting on Amazons recent acquisition of Souq.com, the panel unanimously agreed the deal was an indication of confidence in the regions talent, business ecosystems and growth potential.Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2017.
