Dubai: The “Dubai Investment Week 2017”, organised by the Dubai Investment Development Agency (Dubai FDI), an agency of Dubai Economy, under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, got off to a start on Sunday with an FDI Leadership Training Workshop on “Industrial FDI: Trends & Opportunities”.

The workshop was attended by over 100 professionals working in the development, promotion, and facilitation of foreign investment across government entities and free zones in Dubai as well as partner entities of Dubai FDI.

Fahad Al Gergawi, CEO of Dubai FDI opened the workshop, following which Dr Abdul Aziz Istaitieh, Senior Economic Advisor to the Executive Council of Dubai, gave an overview and performance update on the Dubai Industrial Strategy launched last year by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

“The event underlines the importance of developing competencies and cadre in attracting foreign investment, which is the main engine for economic growth, as well as the need to keeping abreast of the movement patterns in financial and human capital, particularly industrial FDI,” Al Gergawi said.

Andreas Dressler, FDI Advisor and workshop leader, traced the FDI trends, engines and competition in the industrial sector, followed by an interactive workshop on factors, determinants and opportunities in industrial investment and investor requirements.

A series of workshops and lectures have been held with the aim of building specialised technical capabilities in attracting, developing and facilitating investment in Dubai and enhancing the role of public and private sector institutions in driving FDI into the ongoing efforts towards achieving the Dubai Plan 2021.

Rounds of discussions

The official opening of the Dubai Investment Week will take place on Monday, October 16 at the Godolphin Room of the Emirates Towers Hotel. The Week will run until Thursday, October 19.

Policymakers, investors and investment facilitators will engage in various rounds of discussions on local, regional and global investment trends, strategies and best practices during the Week. The programme enables participants to learn about the advantages of Dubai as a preferred global destination for investment, business development and public-private partnerships, as well as to receive an update on the opportunities in the strategic and emerging economic sectors, regionally and internationally.

The “Dubai Investment Week” also includes a forum dedicated to sustainable investment, aimed to promote regional and international cooperation and integrated initiatives to facilitate FDI inflows into sustainable development projects. A “Future Policy Dialogue” intended to track investor perceptions of the future and to proactively develop proactive policies and action plans will also be part of the week.

Regional and international delegations, leaders from the government sector and international companies, representatives of banks and investment funds as well as experts and specialists from global institutions are participating in the “Dubai Investment Week”.

The programme will host a group of prominent speakers in direct dialogue sessions and specialised workshops, as well as closed meetings and field visits. Attendance is limited to invitees only in order to document and follow up on the level of participation and future involvement of the investor community