DIFC Week

DIFC Week is the Dubai International Financial Centre’s (DIFC) annual programme of conferences featuring global and regional financial and economic leaders, and this year The Times and The Sunday Times are delighted to be a 2008 Media Partner.

Each year, the event brings prominent business, government and academic personalities from around the world to share perspectives on wide-ranging topics that impact the economy of the region. This year, under the theme, ‘Sustaining our Oasis of Prosperity in a Turbulent World’, DIFC Week is devoted to discussing regional growth prospects in the light of current global developments. The highlights of DIFC Week 2008 include a two-day Forum from 24 to 25 November, and a one-day Conference on 26 November.

Thought leaders and decision makers will share perspectives on wide-ranging topics at these events: The DIFC Forum 24 & 25 November will include discussions on the regional macroeconomic outlook, foreign investment, business performance, family entrepreneurship, energy and women in business. Those who attend also receive access for free to the Conference for themselves or a designated colleague.

The DIFC Conference, 26 November, The inside track on Dubai: a one-day conference for 250-300 people to provide interested businesses and clients with highly practical information on doing business in Dubai. In the process, the event showcases the DIFC and the firms and service providers in the free zone and Dubai more broadly, as well as covering the commercial and legal aspects of setting up, raising money, and exits, as well as human resources, real estate, and schools.

The Times and Sunday Times are delighted to be a Media Partner for DIFC Week 2008 and we strongly encourage your participation.     

• Confirmed speakers include:

HE Dr Omar bin Sulaiman, Governor of the DIFC; James Harding, Editor of The Times; Sheikha Hanadi Nasser bin Khaled al-Thani, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Nasser bin Khaled & Sons Group and Founder, AMWAL; Khalid Abdullah-Janahi, Chairman, Ithmaar Bank, Group Chief Executive, DMI; Saad Hamad Al-Barrak, Managing Director, Deputy Chairman and CEO, Zain Group, Nader Sultan, Consultant and former Chief Executive Officer, KPC.  Hari Bhambra, Senior Partner, Praesidium; David Eldon, Chairman, DIFCA; Herman Franssen, Senior Associate, CSIS Energy and National Security Program, and President, International Energy Associates;  Peter Oppenheimer, Partner and Global Strategist, Goldman Sachs; Tim Sebastian, former Host of BBC Hardtalk,  Jeff Singer, CEO, Dubai International Financial Exchange, Raja Sidawi, Chairman, Energy Intelligence; Robert Thomson, Publisher, The Wall Street Journal; Caio Koch-Weser, Vice Chairman, Deutsche Bank; Martin Wolf, Associate Editor and Chief Economics Commentator, FT, K.C Chan, Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Maria Bartiromo, Anchor, CNBC, Arif Masood Naqvi, Founder and Group CEO, Abraaj Capital,

• Sessions designed as interview panels and run by professional moderators to ensure plenty of time for discussion by the audience.

• Substantial networking opportunities including a gala dinner on 24 November.

For the agenda and online registration of the DIFC Forum, please click here.
For the agenda and online registration of the DIFC Conference, please click here.

The DIFC Forum and the DIFC Conference are business meetings forming part of DIFC Week, an annual celebration of the DIFC and its community which includes not only business conferences of the highest calibre, but also art and sporting events. The preliminary agenda for DIFC Week 2008 is as follows:

Seats are limited and will be on a first-come, first-served basis so please reserve your space today.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Yours sincerely,

Brian Ashby
Managing Director
SAB Media
Licensee of The Times and The Sunday Times