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31 October 20243 minute read

Destination Greater Bay Area

International Conference

31 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

The St. Regis Downtown Dubai
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:

  • 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
  • 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

    Syed Musheer Ahmed

    Founder & MD, FinStep Asia

    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 Photo

    Hadi Badri

    His Excellency CEO of Dubai Economic Development Corporation
    As CEO of the Dubai Economic Development Corporation (DEDC) in the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, Hadi is responsible for leading the DEDC team in orchestrating the implementation of projects related to the Dubai Economic Agenda (D33). Prior to joining DET, he held various management positions at Emaar Properties, including CEO of Emaar International, Group Chief Strategy Officer at Emaar and Chairman of Namshi. Hadi has also served as a Board Director for Emaar Properties across 15 companies across Real Estate, E-commerce and hospitality.
    Lord Tim Clement-Jones

    Lord Tim Clement-Jones

    Member of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom

    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 photo

    Mac (Mahmood) Ghani

    Microsoft Business Group Lead at Accenture APAC

    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 photo

    Nilmini Rubin

    Chief Policy Officer, Hedera

    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.

     

    Lian Zhu

    The Honourable Mr. Lian Zhu

    Economic and Commercial Counselor of the People's Republic of China
    Zhu Lian, born in September 1968, LLM. He has successively served in the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the Ministry of Commerce, the Embassy in the Republic of Sudan, the Embassy in the State of Kuwait and the Embassy in the United Arab Emirates.
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