DIFC to ensure Dubai's continued presence at IMF/World Bank Group Annual Meetings in Washington

Following on from the success of DUBAI 2003, The Dubai International Financial Centre Authority will ensure Dubai’s continuing involvement in the annual International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group Annual meetings by taking a large delegation to this year’s summit to be held in Washington DC in October. Now it is launched, the DIFC will be able to demonstrate the considerable momentum it has achieved since it hosted the last annual meetings.

Led by Anis Al Jallaf, Chairman of the DIFCA Board, the delegation will include:, Dr Omar Bin Sulaiman, Director General, DIFC Authority, Naser Nabulsi, CEO of the DIFC Authority, Dr Habib Al Mulla, Chairman, DFSA, David King, CEO, DFSA, Lynton Jones, Chairman of DIFX, Steffen Schubert, CEO of DIFX.

The Board of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group meet once a year to review their work. The Annual Meetings, which generally take place in September-October, are customarily held in Washington for two consecutive years and in another member country in the third year. In 2003, Dubai hosted the IMF/World bank meetings to much acclaim and was the first host from the region.

Since the Annual Meetings bring such a large number of member country officials and international bankers together, they provide opportunities for many important meetings and networking opportunities. The DIFC Authority will be involved in three main events at the summit: an Advisory Board Dinner, Sponsorship and delivering a presentation at the Institute of International Finance (IIF) Annual Meeting, and a DIFC reception.

In addition to these three main events, the DIFC will conduct a series of one to one meetings with entities that are interested in applying to establish in the DIFC, as well as hosting a media seminar to ensure the global media attending the summit is abreast of the impact the DIFC has made since its launch.

Following the IMF/World Bank Meetings, the senior team lead by Naser Nabulsi, CEO, will fly to New York where the DIFCA is sponsoring the Arab Bankers Association of North America’s (ABANA) 2004 Achievement Award Reception and Dinner.

ABANA is a not-for-profit association with members in the banking and financial services industry from the Middle East and the United States. This year, ABANA is honouring, Lubna S Olayan for its prestigious award.

Commenting on DIFC involvement at the IMF/World Bank meetings, Anis Al Jallaf said,

“Following the hosting of this event last year in Dubai, it was essential that we continued to support and be seen at the IMF World Bank Meetings. The UAE, Dubai and the DIFC play an important role in the global economy and I am thrilled that we will now have the opportunity of showing the world’s business leaders how much we have achieved since the last IMF/World Bank meetings.

“In New York we will attend the ABANA event. ABANA fosters improved relations and understanding between the Arab and American people and is therefore an organisation worthy of our support.”