Global leaders converge in Dubai

Close to 400 business leaders and government representatives will meet in Dubai next week to discuss foreign investment opportunities in Africa during the Africa Legal Network’s (ALN) 3rd Annual International Conference on 5-6 October at the Park Hyatt, Dubai, UAE.

The invite-only event is set to attract a number of high-profile speakers, including UAE Minister for Culture, Youth and Social Development His Excellency Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan; Former Malian Prime Minister Dr Cheick Modibo Diarra; International Enterprise Singapore Director Jaya Gopalakrishnan, Former US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer and Centum CEO James Mworia, amongst many others.

The opening panel session will discuss the key findings of the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI)’s latest report titled Lions on the move II: Realizing the potential of Africa’s economies – which reveals an optimistic growth story in Africa. The new report – from the business and economics research arm of McKinsey & Company – shows that despite recent shocks and challenges, spending by Africa’s consumers and businesses totals $4 trillion annually, and is growing rapidly. Household consumption is expected to grow at 3.8 per cent a year to total $2.1 trillion by 2025. 

ALN Chairman and former Malian Prime Minister, Dr. Cheick Modibo Diarra, said:

‘The conference, now in its third year, aims to connect Africa to international markets, providing them with an avenue to hold discussions on various topics salient to Africa and the Gulf. Drawing upon ALN’s deep knowledge of Africa, the event also seeks to add value to the conversations surrounding Africa as a ‘hotbed’ 

for investment opportunities and helps to provide solutions to the various challenges faced when doing business on the African continent.

He continued, ‘Each year we are noticing a growing number of delegates attending from countries outside of Africa and the UAE and this is really indicative of the global investor interest in Africa.’

The annual conference will be held in Dubai, an ideal location widely acknowledged as the gateway to Africa for its global connectivity, concentration of corporate headquarters and geographical location at the heart of important trade corridors. The conference sponsors include International Enterprise Singapore; Centum; The Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB); SBMI; Emirates NBD; Access Bank UK and Axis.