PANAMA: The wealth of trade and business opportunities available in the rapidly expanding Latin America and the Caribbean regions will be in the spotlight when the third Global Business Forum (GBF) on Latin America commences tomorrow (April 9) in Panama City under the theme “Next Hubs, New Regions.”
Organised by Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Dubai Chamber) in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and programmed in association with the Economist Events, GBF Latin America – Panama 2019 will be joined by a long list of dignitaries and high-level attendees who include H.E. Juan Carlos Varela, President of Panama; H.E. Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama; H.E. Jovenel Moise, President of Haiti; ministers and top government officials from Panama, Ecuador, Honduras, Paraguay, Chile, Mexico, Costa Rica, Haiti and Dominican Republic, and CEOs and leading business leaders from the GCC, Latin America and Caribbean regions.
The two-day forum coincides with a Dubai Chamber-led trade mission to Panama joined by more than 60 businessmen from the UAE who will participate in the forum and several site visits where they will learn more about the Panamanian economy and business environment, in addition to the competitive advantages that the country can offer UAE companies that are keen to leverage it a strategic hub to expand their reach in Latin American and Caribbean markets.
For his part, H.E. Hamad Buamim, President and CEO of Dubai Chamber said he expects the upcoming forum to achieve its objectives of facilitating UAE-Latin America cooperation in new economic sectors and areas. He noted that the high calibre of participants for the third edition of GBF Latin America is a testament to the strong interest and appetite among public and private sector stakeholders in Latin America and the Caribbean who are keen to enhance and expand their ties with their counterparts in the UAE and GCC.
H.E. Buamim explained that the strategic decision to bring the forum to the Latin America will help accelerate business exchange and provide an ideal platform to build new relationships and showcase Dubai as global gateway for Latin American and Caribbean companies that are keen to expand their reach in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.
He added that the forum in Panama follows the opening of Dubai Chamber’s third Latin America office in Buenos Aires, Argentina last week – yet another move demonstrating the organisation’s commitment to exploring potential in the region and identifying business opportunities for its members.
The Global Business Forum Latin America – Panama 2019 will feature two days of detailed presentations, interactive discussions and bilateral business meetings that will explore prospects for increasing economic cooperation in several sectors and areas of mutual interest, including agribusiness and food security, infrastructure, tourism, logistics, finance and fintech, renewable energy, commodities trading, startups and innovation-focused industries. News Desk