Dubai Financial Market’s (DFM) second annual international investor conference in London was successfully concluded on Thursday, May 22, with more than 400 meetings held between 250 fund managers and institutional investors and 14 senior representatives of companies listed on DFM.
The conference was attended by high-profile London-based international institutional investors and fund managers. The conference was held at Goldman Sachs’s London office conference room, a hi-tech arena with state-of-the-art facilities for global conferences.
Over the course of the two-day conference, group presentations were made by chairmen and CEOs of listed companies about investment opportunities in the bourse and its listed companies. One-on-one meetings were also held for the duration of the conference between representatives of listed companies and fund managers and institutional investors where companies discussed their growth and investment strategies for the future.
Commenting on the outcome of the conference, Essa Kazim, Chairman of Dubai Financial Market, said: “We are very pleased with the high level of participation witnessed at this year’s London conference. The strong turnout of institutional investors and fund managers at the conference for the second consecutive year is a testament to the success of this initiative by DFM. As the first regional bourse to sponsor such an annual initiative, DFM continues to provide its listed companies with unique opportunities to interact with major international institutions and discuss their upcoming projects and strategies.”
“Such initiatives are in line with DFM’s vision to support capital-raising activities for its listed companies and thereby, create a new segment of prudent international investors in local markets as per the long-term economic strategy of Dubai,” Kazim added.
“The continued growth of DFM and its listed companies is due in no small part to the confidence and strong interest expressed by the international investor community. Going forward, we will continue to organise similar events worldwide, not just in the United States and United Kingdom but also in new markets and tap on institutional investors in other parts of the world, over the coming 12 months,” he concluded.
Kazim acknowledged the participating listed companies, event sponsors and the attending investment institutions. He also thanked the DFM team in Dubai that contributed to the success of the event through their supervision and coordination.
“International investor interest in Dubai’s high-growth real estate sector remains extremely strong,” said Arif Amiri, Senior Director – Investor Relations and Corporate Governance, Emaar Properties. “The DFM investor conference in London provided a signal opportunity for Emaar Properties to attract further overseas investment in the company, the sector and the emirate as a whole. We are very pleased to participate in such important international events, which provide us with an ideal platform to showcase the company's projects and growth strategies to the global investment community. As Emaar moves closer to realising its Vision 2010, becoming one of the most valuable companies in the world, it will continue to focus on creating value for the organisation and its shareholders.”
Khaled Kamda, Group Managing Director and CEO of DIB, said: “We are thankful to DFM for this initiative which provides listed companies access to large institutional investors and promotes further foreign investment in regional companies. Such conferences are an efficient tool for companies to present their case to foreign investors and for investors to identify appropriate opportunities to enter into the rapidly growing equity markets of the region. We believe this initiative is reflective of DIB’s strategy for attracting international investment and the overall vision of Dubai to make the emirate a global investment destination.”
Adel Ali, Board Member and Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia said: “This event has given us the unique opportunity to interact with the investor communities of London and Europe. The event has also given us a chance to showcase the success of Air Arabia in the past year, in spite of a volatile aviation industry. It has also given us the chance to show to investors in London the vast potential that lies within DFM. We are grateful to be have been given the opportunity to act as one of the foremost representatives of the booming economy of Dubai.”
Wasim Saifi, Chief Executive Officer of Tamweel, said: “The London investor conference is an ideal platform for Tamweel PJSC to showcase our growth and expansion strategy to international investors. The Gulf region at large and the UAE in specific are witnessing unprecedented growth and transformation in their economies and the DFM road show initiatives allows the companies of the UAE to have access to international Fund managers and institutional investors. Being the highest rated financial institution in the region, Tamweel seeks to attract foreign investors who would like to capitalize on the dynamic real estate market in the UAE allowing us to diversify our shareholder base.”
