MEED-GlobalData has announced a one-day virtual summit entitled MENA PPP Virtual Think Tank on Tuesday, Oct. 13, which will bring together industry experts from the public and private sector to discuss public-private partnership frameworks and their growing importance in the region. The MENA PPP Virtual Think Tank will feature thought leaders from key local, regional and international organizations. Speakers from Ministry of Finance (Egypt), Abu Dhabi Investment Office (UAE), National Center for Privatization (Saudi Arabia), Samsung Engineering and more will engage in detailed discussions on the PPP landscape and opportunities outlook. The virtual summit will conclude with three separate breakout sessions, in which thought leaders will provide sector specific insights on social, transport, and power and water infrastructures. The panel of experts will discuss how the pandemic has changed the appetite for PPP in the region, what the current PPP project landscape looks like, and how PPP contracts help extract value from assets. The continued drop in oil prices in the GCC region, exasperated by the current global pandemic have undoubtedly placed a greater strain on public spending into infrastructure projects and public assets, accelerating the need for economies to assess newer methods of approaching project finance. PPP contracts are notably gaining traction in the region. Abu Dhabi, for example, plans to introduce $2.7bn-worth of infrastructure projects through PPP, while Saudi Arabia and Oman are placing a growing focus on PPP projects to finance social infrastructure projects. "Now is the time for public private partnerships (PPP) to make an impact in the regions," says MEED editorial director Richard Thompson. "The need to innovative and to find more efficient ways to design, build, finance and operate national infrastructure and public services is greater than ever before. And the fiscal pressure from lower oil prices and COVID-19 stimulus spending is removing some of the barriers to PPP that have existed." The MENA PPP Virtual Think Tank is supported by Strategic Partners DLA Piper Middle East LLP and Allen & Overy LLP, and will take place on Tuesday (Oct. 13) from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. — SG
