UNDER the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council of the Emirate of Dubai, the Department of Economic Development (DED) in Dubai along with the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi will host the ‘UAE Economic Outlook 2015' forum at the Armani Hotel Dubai on Dec. 16-17, 2014. The forum, being held for the second year, will evaluate the economic prospects of the UAE in light of the future outlook for the global economy. Senior government officials, decision-makers, business leaders, bankers and local and well as international economic experts and researchers will attend the two-day forum. The first day of the forum will focus on the UAE economic outlook for 2015 in light of the recent global and regional trends and the ongoing economic development in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The second day will bring leading global and local innovators and experts to share strategies and experiences in fostering the development of knowledge-based economic activities. The role of the private sector in harnessing opportunities for innovation will be particularly highlighted. Speaking on the relevance of the forum, Sheikh Hamdan said it will bring a prominent group of strategists and decision makers from the public and private sectors in the country to highlight the UAE's pride of place on the global map. He said: "The UAE Economic Outlook has been effective in promoting economic development across the UAE in general and Dubai in particular, and in charting the future of our beloved country, which has varied opportunities for the global business community. I congratulate the Departments of Economic Development in Dubai and Abu Dhabi for this unique and meaningful initiative to promote public-private partnerships that can help achieve our growth targets. Such partnerships can only happen through dialogue and exchange of views and strategies that keep us abreast of global developments and economic variables.” Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Economic Development Committee in Dubai, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation and Dubai Airports, Chairman & Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and, and Sultan Al Mansouri, UAE Minister of Economy, will deliver the keynote speeches at the forum in the presence of Their Excellences Ali Majid Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi DED, and Sami Al Qamzi, Director General of DED, Dubai. The first session of the opening day will be addressed by Harald Finger,Deputy Division Chief in the Regional Studies Division, Middle East and Central Asia Department, International Monetary Fund , who will speak on the latest developments and prospects for the global economy and its impact on regional economic performance, especially economic activity in the UAE. — SG
