“Adapting to a Shifting Investment Landscape: Harnessing New Potential for Global Economic Development” is a theme of this year’s edition of the Congress. The event is being held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center and it will last for three days.
Ministers, government officials and decision-makers from around the globe attended the opening ceremony, supported by the UAE Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology and the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development as the lead partner. Around 12,000 visitors from over 175 countries are present at the event, including elite investors, representatives of major corporations and international organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises and start-up founders. Among distinguished guests of the opening ceremony were: His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, UAE Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, as well as His Excellency Andry Rajoelina, President of Madagascar and Secretary General of the League of Arab States, Ahmed Aboul Gheit. They gave keynote speeches at the opening ceremony and spoke about finding solutions for the transformation of the global investment landscape.
The Guest of Honor, His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi emphasized how the UAE’s investment journey has evolved and expanded over time. His Highness highlighted that the country has become a key source of FDI on a global scale.
“A dream is just a dream without hard work. Without a vision and a plan, and without a good strategy, work without purpose may lead to chaos and a waste of a country’s resources. When it comes to delivering outcomes, wisdom and a sense of duty are the differentiators.” – Said His Highness.
“On the UAE’s economic development since its foundation, HH Sheikh Saud said that it would have remained a dream had it not been for continual and strenuous effort.
“The UAE has always understood that development can, and should, be reciprocal. I am convinced that by joining forces, we can establish a new investment landscape, with growth that is inclusive, sustainable, and as far as possible, universal.” – Said His Highness.
HH Sheikh Saud went on to detail how the UAE has achieved such levels of investment and economic and social development, stating: “Firstly, we channelled our strategic wealth into the construction of infrastructure, and the formation of robust institutions. Secondly, we concentrated on the soft infrastructure – the establishment of a regulatory, legal and commercial environment that gives investors confidence. Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, we nurtured our greatest asset, our people, understanding that to thrive we needed to educate the generations, and the leaders, to come.”
President of Madagascar, Andry Rajoelina also gave a keynote speech in which his excellency talked about the potential Madagascar has for attracting investors.
“To achieve our emergence, we seek the support of potential partners and friendly countries to accompany the long-awaited development desired by the Malagasy people. Madagascar’s geostrategic position and its central place on the world map at the crossroads of maritime routes reveal our crucial role in regional trade and exchanges,” said Andry Rajoelina.
Besides, his excellency underlined the importance of creating a solid regulatory framework for investors and encouraging responsible investments. President Rajoelina also talked about focusing on renewable energy and said that the goal of the government is to double or even triple energy production capacity by building solar, wind and hydroelectric power plants.
Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General of the League of Arab States also addressed the participants at the opening ceremony, praising AIM Congress for building strong partnerships and benefitting from the diversity of the participants under the UAE’s strong leadership. In his keynote speech, the Secretary-General talked about the importance of AI for the future of the region.
“Big companies have heavily invested in AI due to its lucrative revenues. Arab countries must allocate resources to research and development, thoroughly study the risks and threats posed by AI, and formulate legislation to regulate the industry. By fostering collaboration and working in harmony, comprehensive growth can be achieved, leading to a better future”, Said Secretary General Gheit.
Besides keynote speeches, the opening ceremony included panel discussions with senior policymakers and top business leaders. Exchanging knowledge and experiences was the main goal of rounds of panel discussions. Exploring strategies for adapting to global investment landscape transformations and finding solutions to address challenges were topics on which invited speakers focused. Among them were prominent officials and influential economic figures.
On Day I of the AIM Congress, the Georgia Today team met numerous start-up founders, government officials and investors for whom this 3-day congress is the best platform to connect. From the heart of the Caribbean Sea, all the way to Malaysia, our interviewees of different origins and backgrounds talked about what makes their countries or start-ups interesting for investors.
Dr. Mohd Nor Azman Hassan, Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation of Malaysia talked to us about the goal of the team with which he attends the congress.
“I’m here together with about 9 start-up founders, as well as inventors, innovators and investors. We believe that this is a very important platform for us to connect and Malaysia has a lot to offer in terms of providing solutions, whether it is digital, fintech, technological advancement, or cutting-edge solutions that we can bring to the rest of the world via this platform”. – Said Dr. Hassan.
There are all kinds of companies attending the event who are interested in finding investors for their ideas, for their start-ups. One such company which is hard not to notice is the Flynow. The company develops electronic helicopters which are way smaller than helicopters but designed to be used as cargo deliverers or passenger vehicles for up to two people. We spoke to Yvonne Winter, Co-founder and chief operating officer of the company.
“It is a very silent, efficient, affordable, and operable solution for transporting goods and people from A to B. This should be a solution that eases the problems, especially in an urban environment, where you have a lot of congestion, noise, pollution, etc.” – Said Yvonne Winter.
Worth noting that these E-copters run purely on electric batteries, so the company has already reached the zero-emission goal.
From vehicles of the future to medical technology start-ups, one can find all sorts of different companies. Georgia Today team met Mr. Dilip Kumar Chekuri, CEO of Medivalley, which supports exactly such initiatives. This team of Indian inventors brought 10 start-ups in medical technology to attract investors from all over the world.
As representatives of many other countries, officials of the Dominican Republic are interested in attracting investors from around the Globe. Biviana Riviero Disla, executive director of the Export and Investment Center is actively involved in promoting her country’s potential, taking part in panel discussions and speaking to dozens of potential investors.
“We are pleased to be here at this AIM congress this year in Abu Dhabi. For us, part of our role is to promote the Dominican Republic and the benefits of investment in our beautiful country around the world. This AIM Congress is one of the greatest platforms to do that.” – Said Ms. Disla
AIM Congress, an initiative of the AIM Global Foundation, aims to formulate investment strategies and policies, promote investment and economic opportunities, enhance international economic relations, and devise innovative solutions to address current and future global challenges and developments, ultimately striving towards a prosperous and sustainable global economy.
Day II of the Congress is planned to be even more exciting as numerous panel discussions will take place. Georgia Today team will continue working and will provide you with more details, more interviews and insights from one of the biggest investment forums in the Middle East.
