ABU DHABI
Investment opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) and the developments in the financial markets will be in focus during the inaugural Milken Institute Mena summit that kicks off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
A number of top executives, government officials, global leaders, sovereign wealth fund directors from across the globe are expected to take part in the two-day event that will be held under the theme “Strategic investment for sustainable growth.”
Among the speakers include the former US president George W Bush; Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, Deputy Group CEO & Chief Executive Officer of Alternative Investments and Infrastructure, Mubadala; and Mohammad Al Shaya, executive chairman of Alshaya group.
Reem Bint Ebrahim Al Hashemi, UAE’s Minister of State for international cooperation and Managing Director of Dubai Expo 2020, and Mohammad Al Abbar, founder and Chairman of Emaar Properties, will also be present.
The summit will have sessions on various topics including global overview, contextualising local priorities within the current international order, determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI), capital markets and financial infrastructure in Mena, investment landscape in Mena health care and medical innovation, the future of cash, navigating investments from cryptocurrencies to blockchain, urban farming, agri-tech and food security.
“The enthusiastic response we have received to the inaugural Milken Institute Mena Summit makes a powerful statement about the unprecedented opportunities and future of this dynamic region,” Michael Klowden, CEO of the Milken Institute, said in a statement.
“With thoughtful conversations that connect regional and global leaders addressing Mena’s most critical issues, we aim to surface breakthrough ideas and solutions to help navigate a world in transition.”
Meanwhile, the institute released a report titled “Maternal and childhood health in Middle East and North Africa”, which shows that on average the childhood mortality fell by 63 per cent and the maternal mortality fell by 56 per cent over the period 1990 to 2015.
“The results of this study suggest that most of the long-run decline in childhood and maternal mortality rates can be attributed to a dramatic improvement in the economic well-being of families, as well as to a substantial decline in the fertility rate of women in the region,” the report stated.
