UAE to host Middle East banking forum

Abu Dhabi : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) Banks Federation, a professional representative body comprising 50 member banks operating in the UAE, has entered into a partnership with the Financial Times Live and The Banker magazine to host a high level forum in Dubai Nov 26. The Middle East Banking Forum is the first conference to be hosted by the Federation and will become an annual event for leaders of the UAE Banks Federation member institutions and top-tier representatives of regional and international banks as well as other organisations serving and operating in the country's financial sector. "We are responding to a demand from our members for an event which brings together the leading participants in the UAE's banking sector, as well as their international counterparts, to review the latest trends and to hear from some of the world's leading proponents of best practices, as well as visionaries and experts in a wide range of financial disciplines,” AbdulAziz Al Ghurair, the chairman of the federation, said while announcing the decision to host the first annual conference. The ME Banking Forum will welcome senior bankers and economists from both public and private sectors, along with top speakers from the region. The conference reflects the growing efforts being made by the U.A.E. Banks Federation to provide added value and support to its members to develop the banking industry. The key topic to be discussed at the conference will be prospects for banks in the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab spring and at a time of continued subdued global economic growth.