Destination Greater Bay Area
International Conference31 October, 12:30 – 20:30
Venue: The St. Regis Downtown Dubai
Join us for our international conference Destination Greater Bay Area set to take place on 31 October 2024 in Dubai.Through a selection of panellists and invited guests, this conference will have a focus on China and Middle East Opportunities, with particular emphasis on the Greater Bay Area.
The conference aims to bring together key business leaders and stakeholders from across Middle East and China and will provide a platform for cross-industry discussion among sector leaders.
The event will start with lunch and conclude with a networking drinks reception.
Please register your place at the event using the link above.
Address
Marasi Drive, Business Bay
Dubai
United Arab Emirates, 191984
Agenda
12:30 - 14:00
Registration & lunch
14:00 - 14:20
Welcome and introductions
Speakers:
- Peter Somekh, Managing Partner, Middle East and Africa
- Horace Lam, Co-Country Managing Partner, China
14:20 - 14:30
Opening remarks: Business opportunities for China and the GBA in Dubai
Speaker: His Excellency Hadi Badri CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation
14:30 - 14:50
Remarks: Run to the Greater Bay Area
Speaker: The honourable Mr. Lian Zhu, Economic and Commercial Counselor of the People's Republic of China
14:50 - 15:45
Session 1: Fintech Frontiers: Innovations & Policy Predictions in GBA, Middle East & Europe
Moderator: Kristi Swartz, Partner, Hong Kong, DLA Piper
Speakers:
- Nilmini Rubin, Chief Policy Officer, Hedera
- Syed Musheer Ahmed, Founder, FinStep Asia
- Lord Tim Clement-Jones, Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom
15.45 - 16:00
ESG Spotlight: The Nature COPs: From Kunming to Riyadh
Speakers:
- Jean-Pierre Douglas-Henry, Partner, Managing Director, Sustainability and Resilience, United Kingdom, DLA Piper
- Kelly Sporn, Special Counsel, International Head of Strategic Delivery – Sustainability & ESG, United Kingdom, DLA Piper
16:00 - 16:15
Coffee break
16:15 - 17:00
Session 2: Risks and practical tips for cross-border dispute resolution
Speakers:
- Andrew Mackenzie, Partner, Head of Litigation, Arbitration and Investigations, Middle East DLA Piper
- Ernest Yang, Partner, Co-Head of International Arbitration, Asia Pacific, DLA Piper
- Johnny Choi, Partner, Head of Employment - China, DLA Piper
17:00 - 17:15
ESG Spotlight: The rise and rise of mandatory sustainability disclosure: trends in Asia and the Middle East
Speakers:
17:15 - 18:15
Session 3: Middle East-GBA Business Synergies: 7th Tech Index Discussion
Unearthing the Middle East and GBA synergies. A discussion to explore to what extent the 7th Tech Index reinforces the global business between these two powerhouse regions.
Moderator: Mark O'Conor, Partner, Global Co-Chair, Technology Sector, DLA Piper
Speakers:
- Paul Allen, Partner, Global Co-Chair, Intellectual Property and Technology, Middle East DLA Piper
- Susheela Rivers, Partner, Office Managing Partner, Hong Kong Head of Real Estate, Asia Pacific DLA Piper
- Saba Al Sultani, Partner, Head of Intellectual Property and Technology, Middle East DLA Piper
- Mac (Mahmood) Ghani, Microsoft Business Group Lead at Accenture APAC
18:15 - 18:20
Close
Speaker: Satpal Gobindpuri, Regional Managing Partner, Asia, DLA Piper
18:20
Networking drinks
DLA Piper hosts
Speakers
Syed Musheer Ahmed
Musheer Ahmed is the Founder & MD of Fintech & Virtual Asset Advisory and Venture Building firm, Finstep Asia, and has close to two decades of extensive experience in Capital Markets, Fintech and Virtual Assets. Since 2016, Musheer has contributed extensively to building the Fintech and Virtual Assets ecosystem across Asia.
Hadi Badri
Lord Tim Clement-Jones
Lord Clement-Jones was made CBE for political services in 1988 and a life peer in 1998. He is the Liberal Democrat House of Lords spokesperson for Science, Innovation and Technology; he is former Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on AI which reported in 2018 with "AI in the UK: Ready Willing and Able?"
Mac (Mahmood) Ghani
Mac is an accomplished global executive with extensive experience in technology and business leadership. Currently leading the Accenture Microsoft Business Group for APAC, driving value by integrating the capabilities of Accenture, Avanade, and Microsoft to deliver innovative solutions for clients across diverse regions.
Nilmini Rubin
As Chief Policy Officer, Nilmini Rubin leads global policy for the Hedera. Previously, Nilmini worked on the global policy team at Meta and co-founded Fix the System, a coalition of organizations committed to election integrity and democracy strengthening in the United States.
