AIM 2017 to focus on capacities and challenges of Foreign Direct Investments

According to the UNCTAD World Investment Report 2016, Foreign Direct Investment, FDI, inflows to developing economies reached a new high of US$765 billion in 2015, 9 percent higher than the previous years.

Focusing on FDI capacity, The Annual Investment Meeting, which will be held in Dubai from 2nd to 4th April 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, will be attended by representatives of official delegations from more than 140 countries.

Key development, trade, investment challenges and global trade and political trends will be among the agenda items to be discussed at the seventh edition of the Annual Investment Meeting.

Speaking on the event, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, said, "Over the last few years, the UAE has maintained positive growth levels despite the presence of a global downturn. As a country, we’ve adopted open economic policies and have implemented sound and strategic plans supported by the government. This has led to economic diversification and contributed to the development of various sectors. We are positive that in the years to come, our strategic plans and policies will continue to address the challenges faced in building a sustainable economy. As an important hub for trade and business, the Annual Investment Meeting is a great opportunity for industry veterans to inspire creativity and innovation as well as to tackle evolving needs in key economic sectors."

Despite the decline in oil prices over the past few years, Dubai has maintained its investment growth resulting in sustained economic growth across various sectors. While Dubai’s total investments in the economy was at AED77.3 billion in 2016, it is projected at AED82.5 billion and AED86.5 billion respectively in 2017 and 2018.

Foreign direct investment is a principal avenue of development finance. Since it can contribute to economic development, governments want to attract it. It is noted that the UAE, which remains the number one market in the region for foreign direct investments, attracted 61.6 percent of all FDI projects in GCC countries in 2015. Official figures showed that Dubai alone received nearly AED20 billion in foreign direct investments in 2015 and more than two thirds of the funds came from Saudi Arabia, the US, the UK, India and Kuwait.

FDI is regarded as one of the prime transmission vehicles of advanced technology for all countries. The panellists at the Annual Investment Meeting will discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding foreign direct investments and economic growth across various areas.

The pre-event will oversee an FDI capacity building workshop for investment promotion professionals.

The UAE is targeting FDI to make up 5 percent of GDP by 2021. AIM 2017 will witness global business leaders, senior public officials and head of international institutions who will debate and discuss on international investments as a path to competitiveness and development.

Dawood Al Shezawi, CEO of AIM’s Organising Committee, said, "It is an honour to host the seventh edition of the Annual Investment Meeting. The meeting will serve as a perfect platform for key international experts to discuss and promote resilient economic policies that will drive growth and productivity for their countries. In addition, it will provide a great opportunity to businessmen and operators in several industries, from the private and public sector, to find out about the investment potential in the UAE."