First-ever Global Business Forum ASEAN in Dubai

The first ever Global Business Forum (GBF) ASEAN will takes place December 8-9, 2021 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo 2020 Dubai.

The huge economic potential of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the wealth of opportunities that the region offers businesses and investors in the UAE will be in the spotlight at the event.

GBF ASEAN 2021 is the first in the GBF series to focus on the 10 countries in the ASEAN region. The high-level forum will bring together government and business leaders from ASEAN markets and the UAE to explore new avenues of economic cooperation and emerging investment opportunities.

The event will examine the changing dynamics of ASEAN region in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as new opportunities being created by digital transformation and trade partnerships. ASEAN’s digital economy is forecast to exceed $100 billion, while financing sustainable infrastructure is estimated to be a $2.8 trillion investment opportunity over the next decade.

Other topics on the agenda include plans among ASEAN members and their counterparts to create the world’s largest free trade area, based on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement that will add an estimated $186 billion to global GDP by 2030.

Public and private sector stakeholders attending the forum will also discuss new ways that ASEAN countries can develop a low-carbon economy to build a more resilient and sustainable future, with Southeast Asia one of the world’s regions most at risk from climate change. Other issues include whether there is such a model as Southeast Asian or Middle Eastern brand of entrepreneurship and how much can Dubai and Singapore, as global hubs for their respective regions, can learn from each other.

HE Hamad Buamim, President & CEO, Dubai Chamber, said

“Expo 2020 Dubai represents the perfect backdrop for the inaugural GBF ASEAN, with its focus on building global partnerships highlighting the array of possibilities for increased investment between regions and pushing the boundaries of inter-regional trade, despite the constraints of the global pandemic,”

“ASEAN companies can benefit by leveraging Dubai as a preferred trade and investment hub to expand their global footprint across the Middle East and Africa. GBF ASEAN is the right place to explore cross-border collaboration opportunities and forge new connections with government and business leaders,”

News Source: Dubai Media Office