Promoting FDI in Partnership

The Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) announces it has entered into a partnership with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies (WAIPA) to bolster networking and promotional opportunities at the world's leading foreign direct investment (FDI) platform.

The 7th edition of AIM will be held on April 2-4, 2017 at the Dubai World Trade Centre under the theme of 'International Investment, Path to Competitiveness & Development'.

"We are proud to be working in collaboration with the World Association of Investment Promotion Agencies for the forthcoming edition of AIM. Dubai was ranked first regionally and sixteenth globally in the 2015 Global Financial Centres Index, and the United Arab Emirates - as the host of Expo 2020 - is attracting more attention and investment from around the world.

"AIM 2017 will focus on the special role of foreign firms in enhancing the country's competitiveness and we believe having WAIPA on board as our knowledge partner will provide valuable help and allow us to utilise established structures to mobilise and influence stakeholders and promote creative policy solutions," said Dawood Al Shezawi, head of the AIM Organizing Committee.

Created in 1995, the WAIPA currently has 170 Members from 130 countries and provides an opportunity for investment promotion agencies (IPA) to network and exchange best practices in investment promotion.

"We are delighted to have a synergy with AIM which has become a benchmark in the FDI industry. This cooperation will allow participants at AIM 2017 to identify key promotion and cooperation opportunities. We are excited to share our solid experiences in holding training events for IPAs. WAIPA is a global reference point for the FDI as we assist IPAs in advising their respective governments on the formulation of appropriate investment promotion policies and strategies. We facilitate access to the needed information and data as well as to technical assistance. So we believe that our contribution will be of remarkable and valuable benefit and assistance to AIM," said Bostjan Skalar, CEO, WAIPA.

Indeed, WAIPA will conduct a capacity-building workshop during the AIM 2017, gathering investment promotion agencies (IPAs) and other stakeholders to discuss the impact of foreign investment on the competitiveness of national economies.

According to the Department of Economic Development (DED), Dubai continues to cement its position amongst the top FDI destinations in the world with investment inflows to the Emirate last year reached 28.6 billion dirhams. The city also ranked sixth, globally, in the FDI Markets report of the Financial Times.

Dubai also stood fourth globally in the number of new investment projects.

According to preliminary findings of 'FDI Monitor', there was a 16 per cent increase in new projects in 2015, to 279 projects from 240 in 2014. Dubai has already attracted new FDI worth 17.7 billion dirhams in the first half of 2016.

"This is not the first time that AIM and WAIPA are cooperating. AIM has recently sponsored and supported WAIPA during the 21st edition of the World Investment Conference (WIC) that took place last October in Istanbul, Turkey," said Mr. Skalar - with the event attracting 100 investment agency officials as well as high-level executives from the World Bank, the International Labour Organization, the Islamic Development Bank, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Held to discuss the theme, "Inclusive Investments and a Sustainable Future", the WIC focused on sustainable FDI as a main driver to achieve development goals, the impact of technology in IPA services and analysing factors that determine private sector investments into markets.

"Sustainability is indeed the future and plays a crucial role in creating new niches in our growing economies. Being part of the WIC acts as a catalyst for attracting sustainable investment and enhancing our understanding in the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead," added Dawood Al Shezawi.

"Last October, an "International sustainable Investment Centre" was announced at Dubai Investment Forum, with the mission to build a regional network for sustainable investment in the Middle East and North Africa" added Al Shezawi. "This is to say the outstanding leadership of Dubai, and the UAE in general, as a regional and global platform for sharing ideas, experiences and best practices."

Several regional countries have already expressed the willing to attend the AIM 2017, including Lebanon (Investment Development Authority of Lebanon - IDAL), Jordan (Jordan Investment Commission), Morocco (Moroccan Investment Development Agency -AMDI), Tunisia (Foreign Direct Investment Promotion Agency - FIPA) and Kuwait (Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority - KDIPA).

Visit www.aimcongress.com/en/registration/ for registration information.