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Dubai / WAM
The second edition of the Global Business Forum on Latin America (GBF), which will be held from February 27-28, in Dubai, will see the participation of current and former heads of state, ministers, decision makers, and industry experts to discuss new avenues of economic cooperation between the GCC and promising Latin American markets.
Organised by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the two-day forum will be held under the patronage the Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Bearing the theme “Connect – Collaborate – Grow”, the forum will provide an opportunity to listen to global thought leaders engage in inspirational, thought-provoking, and future-focused dialogues that shape the future of governments and business, while showcasing Dubai’s potential as a global gateway for Latin American companies.
The 2018 edition will host Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez, President of Panama, Vicente Fox, President of Centro Fox company and Former President of Mexico, and Cesar Gaviria, Former President of Colombia.
The Panamanian President will lead a delegation from the Central American country which includes First Lady Lorena Castillo Garca de Varela; Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice President and Chancellor, Augusto Arosemena Moreno, Minister of Commerce and Industry; and Dulcidio De La Guardia, Minister of Economy and Finance.
Other high-level attendees include: Manuel Gonzalez Sanz, Costa Rica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs; Gustavo Leite, Paraguay’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, and Lea Gimenez, Paraguay’s Minister of Finance, Pablo Campana, Ecuador’s Minister of Foreign Trade, Arnaldo Castillo, Minister of Economic Development of Honduras, Hugo Rivera, the Dominican Republic’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, and Rogelio Garza Garza, Under-Secretary of Industry and Commerce at the Mexican Ministry of Economy, and Jairo Estrada, Guatemala’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Hamad Buamim, Dubai Chamber’s President and CEO, said, “The high calibre of speakers and participants joining the second edition of the GBF is a reflection of the event’s significance, as well as growing global interest in Dubai as a preferred trade and investment hub. The forum, the largest event of its kind in the Middle East, will provide valuable insights and unique perspectives on Latin America’s future growth prospects and identify attractive business opportunities opening up within the region’s key sectors which companies in the UAE and GCC can benefit from.”
The forum will kick off with a welcome note from Majid Saif Al Ghurair, Chairman of Dubai Chamber, followed by a panel discussion on Latin America’s growth potential, which will bring together Susana Malcorra, Head of the High-Level Council and Former Foreign Minister of Argentina, Marcos Troyjo, Director of BRICLab at Columbia University, USA, and Fernando Galletti de Queiroz, CEO of Minerva Foods in Brazil.
Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World will join a session titled “The Building Blocks of Business”, and a special one-on-one conversation with the President of Panama will focus on plans to leverage the country’s strategic position between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to become a modern hub for global trade and investment.
The second day will kick off with a session joined by Gaviria, who will discuss how Latin America’s new governments are working hard to rebuild the trust of both citizens and investors. Another panel discussion will examine Dubai’s role in supporting Latin America’s economy growth.
The forum will look at the fast-growing halal economy and the potential for future cooperation in this area between the UAE, Brazil and other major agricultural exporters in Latin America.
Vicente Fox will speak about Latin America’s place in the global economy during a thought-provoking session.
The forum will also feature a panel examining Latin America’s fast-growing tourism markets which will be joined by Maria Claudia Lacouture, Executive Director of AmCham Colombia and the country’s Former Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism; along with Gerald Lawless, Chairman of the World Travel and Tourism Council.