Programme

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Speakers

H.E. Humaid Ben Salem Chairman ICC UAE H.E. Humaid Mohamed Ben Salem was appointed as Secretary General of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FCCI) in 2013 to foster cooperation and coordination between the different emirates of the UAE and prepare ground for trade and investment that contribute to the national economy at large. H.E. Ben Salem is also a former member of the UAE National Assembly (Parliament) where he played his significant role from 2012 to 2016. Prior to his tenure at the UAE National Assembly, H.E. was Director General of Umm Al Quwain Chamber of Commerce & Industry for 20 years and his charismatic personality has been facilitating the local chambers and the private sector of the UAE to achieve their goals. He has been at the Board of Director of International Chamber of Commerce – UAE since 2009 and was elected Chairman in 2015 to represent, support and protect the interest of the business community in the UAE. In addition to the above, he has been instrumental in establishing several joint business councils and has always been active and regularly contributes to the projects pertaining to the private sector. He holds a BA degree in Administration and Marketing from Davis & Elkins College, United States of America.

Hassan Al Hashemi Secretary General ICC UAE Hassan Al Hashemi joined Dubai Chamber of Commerce in 2006 and is currently the Vice President of International Relations. As the principal liaison between governmental authorities and the private sector, Mr Al Hashemi’s department represents Dubai Chamber on the international arena and in turn is one of the organization’s most active departments. The Department’s main duties include negotiating cooperative agreements with foreign partners, organizing major events as well as high level business networking programs, representing the Chamber at local and international events, and organizing inbound and outbound delegations and trade missions. Since 2012, Mr Al Hashemi has led the implementation of Dubai Chamber’s ProDubai initiative, which involves setting up a number of International Representative Offices in targeted locations around the world. He is also responsible for the promotion of Dubai Association Center, a first in the region that aims at attracting international business and professional bodies to Dubai. Mr Al Hashemi holds a BA degree in Management and Marketing from the University of Dubai and is currently pursuing his Masters in Project Management at the British University in Dubai. He is also a graduate of the “Mohammed Bin Rashid Program for Leadership Development”, a selective and highly regarded program initiated by the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. Mr Al Hashemi is a board member of ICC UAE along with other local and international business organizations. He is married and has three daughters.

Vincent O'Brien Director ICC UAE He has been actively involved in trade finance for more than a quarter of a century and has delivered technical assistance for trade finance in more than 100 countries. Vincent’s primary activity is trade facilitation with the major Multilateral Development Banks and his recognized specialty is trade related dispute resolution where he often acts as Expert Witness in Trade Disputes and Legal Cases. Vincent also holds the positions of the Associate Director of the Institute of International Banking Law and Practice (IIBLP).

Ana Kavtaradze Strategic Business Development Consultant JSC BasisBank Ana Kavtaradze is an Advisor to Commercial Director at BASISBANK Georgia, in charge of Strategic Business Development of the Bank. With 16+ years’ experience in trade finance, supply chain finance (SCF), global banking, client relationship management, business strategy formulation, as well as cutting-edge innovation and digitalization Ana has expanded Global Banking network bringing in full scope business cooperation opportunities including Funding, Trade and Supply Chain Finance, Treasury, and Correspondent Banking. With a performance driven and resourceful leadership in her capacity leading Trade & Structured Finance Business at Georgia’s over a decade Ana liaised multi-cultural stakeholders/customers, with a focus on managing/expanding business with global banks, IFI’s, rule makers across the world in the domain of Global Banking. Laterally to her Banking carrier, in her private consultancy capacity Ana provides technical advisory to Private and Public Sectors worldwide with primary focus on Digitalization, Trade Finance, Transport and Logistics, Customs, Export Finance, Supply Chain Finance, Global Banking Solutions. Ana has broad experience cooperating with global commercial banks and financial institution and strong knowledge and coverage of regional business environment. Over the years, she has been a frequent speaker at Global Banking events and conferences worldwide. Ana has been a regular provider of workshops and webinars globally for corporates, SME’s, trade finance professionals, bankers as well as government agencies and regulators. Ana headed Trade and Structured Finance Department at one of the largest UK premium listed bank in Georgia, Bank of Georgia (BOG) over a decade. Executive Member of Banking Commission, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Paris Y2017-2021. Editorial Advisory Board Member, Documentary Credit World (DCW) USA and Trade & Investment commission co-chair, ICC Georgia since Y2020. Ana graduated with honors from Tbilisi State University, Georgia with Master’s Degree in Banking and Finance.

Ataur Rahman Secretary General ICC Bangladesh Mr. Ataur Rahman started his career in 1975 with Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) as In-charge of the Training Unit and organized various training programme jointly with the Economic Development Institute (EDI) of the World Bank. Prior to joining BIDS, he worked with the Press Foundation Asia, Manila, Philippines for two years. He worked in different senior positions with the Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP),a Regional Inter-governmental Organization with its headquarters in Dhaka from 1980-1997. Before joining ICC Bangladesh in January 2005, he worked with the Bangladesh Silk Foundation as General Manager and Managing Director. Mr. Rahman has organized and participated in various international conferences, seminars and training programme in Bangladesh as well as in various countries around the world. Mr. Rahman obtained his B.Com (Honours) Degree and completed M.Com (Management) from the University of Dhaka in 1969 and 1970 respectively. He obtained his M.B.A Degree from the De La Salle Graduate School,Manila,Philippines in 1973. Mr.Rahman is a Fellow of EDI, World Bank.

Basel Al-Hussein Private Sector Advisory International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC) 20 years of accumulated experience in corporate finance, which out of it 12 years in Islamic Trade Finance. Executive Master in International Trade Managed ITFC’s Trade Finance portfolio in the Middle East with total accumulated approvals volumes exceeding US$ 1 billion Tailored several financial solutions that were rewarded with international recognition awards from Islamic Finance News, Euromoney and Global Trade Review. Developing Supplier’s Finance Scheme, a Shari’ah compliant alternative to conventional receivables financing. Participated a key speaker and panellist in several Global and International forums and Seminars related to the International Trade and the Islamic Finance Industry, such as the Islamic Finance News / REDmoney events, FCI events, GTR MENA events and other similar events. Member of a task-force formed by the Factors Chain International (“FCI”) – a Global Representative Body for Factoring and Financing of Open Account Domestic and International Trade Receivables, for the development of the General Rules for International Factoring Supplementary Agreement regulating the International Islamic Factoring transactions conducted by FCI network members. A member of the Products Quality Assurance Committee formed by the Saudi Export Development Authority to review and assess the Saudi EXIM Bank Financing Products. Credit Certification Program (Moody’s), Certified Islamic Banker by CIBAFI, Certified Lender Business Banker (CLBB) by the Arab Academy for Banking and Financial Sciences (AABFS).

Betul Kurtulus Regional Director for Central, Eastern and South -Eastern Europe FCI Regional Director for Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe and the Middle East FCI. Betül Kurtuluş has 30 years’ experience in the Factoring and Leasing industry. She started her career at Anderson Consulting and joined the factoring industry in 1992. Prior to Strateji Factoring, Betül worked at Toprak Banking Group. Until 2018, she has been General Manager at Strateji Factoring, also a Board Member of Yatirim Leasing. Betül Kurtuluş served as a Board Member of the Association of Financial Institutions of Turkey since 2016. The association consists of three major industries, Factoring, Leasing, and Consumer Finance, with a member of 103 finance companies. Since January 2019, she has been appointed

Dr. Christopher Abraham Sr Vice President - Institutional Development S P Jain School of Global Management CEO & Head - Dubai campus and Sr. Vice President at the S P Jain School of Global Management 3 x TEDx and international keynote speaker Consulting assignments for The World Bank, Aramex, DHL, P & G, LG, Reckitt & Benkiser, Nissan Auto and many others Awards & Recognitions Twice Awarded Best CEO in the World by Indo – UAE Business & Social Forum Twice Awarded Education Leadership Award by World Leadership Congress Featured in CNBC, Dubai Eye, Dubai TV, Gulf News, Khaleej Times, The National, Times of India Knighted by The Parte Guelfa, Italy representing India among 130 nations (For Ecology & Environment) Honorary Positions & Recognitions Honorary Fellow – Leaders Excellence at Harvard Square Advisor – RTA Innovation Lab Government of Dubai Global Advisory Board Member - World CMO Council Member of the Board – The Abrahamic Business Circle Senior Advisory Board Member –WASME World Association of SMEs Senior Advisory Board Member – World Sustainable Business Forum Member of the Governing Board – Gulf Marketing Association Executive Board Member – CIVITAS DEI Institute of History and Archaeology of Jerusalem Member of the Board of Directors - Talents of Endearment Knighted by Parte Guelfa , Italy

Faruk Ahmed Senior Executive Vice President The City Bank Limited Faruk Ahmed started his career in IFIC Bank in 1994, after completing his studies from the University of Dhaka. He is a renowned Trade Finance professional, enriched with vast knowledge on tantalizing Trade Finance products like, Supply Chain Financing, Factoring, Reverse Factoring, Block chain and Offshore Banking. As a fintech enthusiast, he was the core member of Core Banking Systems(CBS) and Trade Modules system implementation, in different organizations. In his exciting career, he worked with reputed commercial banks of the country. Under his leadership, in 2021, City Bank handled trade transactions worth USD 6.50 Billion. Mr. Ahmed brings in 27-years of career experience with specialist understanding of Branch Banking operations, Offshore Banking Unit (OBU) operations and Trade operations. He has attended various Trainings, Seminars and Conferences in home as well as different countries of Asia, Europe, America and other continents of the world.

Gunnar Collin Head of Sales and Marketing Enigio Gunnar is a senior operations and banking professional with over 30 years of experience from the financial sector in different organisations, geographies and cultural settings. Focus has been on Trade Finance and Operations, always in senior leadership roles. Gunnar is now fully focused on making sure that Enigio’s ground-breaking inventions and services will be known and implemented wherever there is a need for digitalisation and transformation. The key areas where Enigio’s trace:original solution is a game changer are foreign trade and the financial industry where paper versions of negotiable instruments and documents of title are still widely used. Other areas benefitting from Enigio’s solutions are any organisation using or storing large volumes of paper documents and records. Previous roles: NowPensions, UK, Operations Director. Doha Bank, Qatar, Head of Operations. Danske Bank, Sweden, Head of Operations Lloyds Banking, UK, Head Global Trade SEB, Sweden, various positions including Head of Trade Finance Operations

Gwen Mwaba Director & Global Head Trade Finance African Export-Import Bank Gwen Mwaba joined Afreximbank in May 2015. In her role as Director & Global Head, Trade Finance, she heads the Trade Finance business for Afreximbank and leads a team executing transactions in all Afreximbank member states across Africa. Her expertise cuts across Receivables Financing, Pre-export and Pre-payment financing, Structured Trade and Commodity Financing and lending to Financial Institutions and Sovereigns. Gwen has 23 years of banking experience in Oil & Gas, Telecoms, Hospitality, Mining and agri-business. Before joining Afreximbank, she worked for Standard Bank Plc in London. Gwen is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and holds a BSc. Applied Accounting. She earned her MBA from Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University in 1997.

Hiro Tsubota Partner Clima Capital Partners Hiro Tsubota is Partner at Clima Capital Partners, a climate finance consultancy based in Washington DC. Previously, he was with the World Bank for 24 years and performed senior roles in financial and private sector development and country program management. He was a leading capital markets expert at the Bank, advised governments on financial sector development and public debt management, and provided innovative financial solutions to leverage private-sector investments for economic development, including blended finance and guarantees. In that capacity, he represented the Bank at high-level policy making fora in these subject areas. He also provided technical leadership on innovative climate finance instruments, including green and blue bonds. During 2005 and 2010, he was a key member of the Bank’s Islamic Finance Thematic Group and worked closely with policy makers, regulators and market participants in the MENA region. Prior to joining the World Bank, he worked as a corporate and investment banker, advising governments, financial institutions and corporations on debt, equity and structured finance. He holds MBA from INSEAD (France) and studied economics at Sophia University (Japan) and Vienna University of Economics (Austria).

Jesse Chenard CEO MonetaGo Jesse leads MonetaGo’s vision and strategy by interfacing with financial institutions and central banks around the world. With multiple successful exits including Tremor Video and Image Space Media, Jesse is the definition of an entrepreneur.

Joel Schrevens Global Solutions Director China Systems Joel Schrevens is Global Solutions Director at China Systems, responsible for Product Strategy on Trade and Supply Chain Finance. He is driving the company’s trade digitalisation and ecosystem collaboration initiatives and is the main contact for organisations such as ICC, IIBLP, ITFA, SWIFT and other business and technology partners. Thirty-two years ago, Joel started his career at KBC Bank in Belgium, where he worked for seven years in their Foreign Trade Operations. He is still grateful that he was given the opportunity by the bank to take a leading role in the automation of their trade back- office operations. It provided him with a blend of business, operational and technical expertise and also the mind-set to continuously think about how to optimise intra- and interbank business processes and customer service. While he is ‘notoriously’ known for his attention to detail, he takes pride in his ability and creativity to think at trade ecosystem level. He is passionate about the potential of new technology and the so much needed legal adoption of digital trade documents, but is also convinced that, as our processing environments will become increasingly hybrid, it is essential to well understand the present in order to efficiently handle a long period of transformation and create a bright future for Trade. He enjoys working with people that challenge him as he is convinced that you need to empower other people to own ideas and share a vision in order to grow as an organisation. “Creating value today with a vision for tomorrow” is his motto.

Dr. Joseph George Head of Information Systems & Technology National Bank of Fujairah Dr. Joseph George joined National Bank of Fujairah in May 2015 as Head of Information Systems and Technology. He brings to his role a wealth of banking domain knowledge and technology expertise that spans over two decades. In his current role at NBF, Dr George focuses on ensuring a stable, resilient and scalable digital technology platform that supports the Bank’s strategic, operational and security goals. His in-depth knowledge of Banking Processes coupled with his technology expertise has enabled him to usher in a digital revolution at NBF that saw many operational processes re-engineered, digitized and automated and several digital services being rolled out to the customers, resulting in a seamless customer experience. Prior to joining NBF, Dr George served in various senior roles in the Banking and Financial industries including his previous role as Head of IT Development at Commercial Bank of Dubai where he oversaw the implementation of several digital services such as the launch of first Facebook branch, intelligent virtual assistant, the first analytics and customer onboarding in the middle east region etc… Dr. Joseph George holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Diploma in Cyber Law, Master’s degree in Computer management, MSc in psychology, M. Phil with specialization in Software Project Management and subsequently his Doctorate in Software Project Management from the University of Pune. He also recently earned a post graduate certificate in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Texas Tech University, Austin.

Dr. Kamel Mellahi Senior Manager of the Centre for Responsible Business Dubai Chamber Kamel is a Senior Manager at Dubai Chambers’ Centre for Responsible Business. He has received many prestigious accolades and honors for his work in CSR and sustainability. Prior to joining Dubai Chambers, he held a full professorship position at Warwick Business School. He has published over 100 articles in top tier journals, authored or edited more than a dozen books and a large number of practical tools and manuals. In 2020 and 2021, he featured in Stanford University’s list of the top 2 percent scientists in the world.

Krishna Prasad President Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers Middle East Branch A Graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering and a Post Graduate in Business Administration from the globally reputed Indian Institute of Management, Kolkatta. Krishna Prasad has 33years experience in various facets of commercial shipping. He has had hands on experience in Ship-broking, Ship-operations and Ship-Management. He was also involved with Liner shipping and Freight Forwarding. He started his career with India’s National Carrier The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI). After nearly 10 years with SCI he moved on as the Country Representative in India for M/s Puyvast Chartering bv, Holland, a regular Liner operator out of India. In 1999 he joined the ship-management arm of the Sharaf Group in Dubai. He later became the Managing Director of M/s Huadao Shipping Dubai, a fully owned subsidiary of BM Shipping Group of Italy, heading their operations in the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. During his tenure, Huadao Shipping expanded its market share in the region remarkably. In late 2006 he joined M/s Tradex Marine Global as a Director on Board. Presently he is the Managing Director of Aster Marine Cargo Dubai, a company focusing on Shipbroking, project cargo logistics and Consultancy. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, London and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, London. He is a founder member and Branch Secretary of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, East India Branch. He is the President of the ICS Middle East Branch and is a member of the Controlling Council of the Institute globally. He has also served as a member of the Education and Training Committee of ICS. Mr Krishna Prasad has presented papers in many renowned International Shipping Seminars and Conferences. He has also been a visiting faculty in many Institutes and Universities, in India and in Dubai. He also conducts corporate training programmes and has undertaken consultancy assignments to many companies in India, Europe and the Middle East.

Lamin M Drammeh Head of Trade Finance African Development Bank (AfDB) Lamin has more than 25 years of experience mostly in commercial and development banking. He is the Head of Trade Finance at the African Development Bank (AfDB) and a pioneer member of the team that set up the Bank’s Trade Finance Program in 2013. Prior to that Lamin spent more than a decade at Standard Chartered Bank Gambia as Treasurer and subsequently as Country Director of Wholesale Banking. His areas of professional interest include international trade, corporate governance and financial sector development in emerging markets. Lamin is a Chartered Accountant (FCCA) – ACCA United Kingdom and a Chartered Governance Professional (ACG) - The Chartered Governance Institute, UK & Ireland. He has an MBA from Japan.

Makiko Toyoda Head of the Global Trade Finance Programme International Finance Corporation (IFC) Makiko Toyoda is the Head of the Global Trade Finance Program (GTFP) at International Finance Corporation (IFC) (World Bank Group). GTFP is IFC’s flagship trade finance program established in 2004 which currently covers 74 countries. Makiko has 30 years of trade & supply chain finance and banking experiences, having worked in Washington DC, Johannesburg, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan (Astana and Almaty), London, Frankfurt, and Tokyo. She joined IFC in 2003 and was the Sub-Saharan Africa Head based in Johannesburg before assuming the current role in Washington DC in 2017. Since she became the Head, she has implemented several initiatives including the COVID-19 crisis response, the gender trade program, the digital transaction initiative, the equipment finance facility, etc. She is a member of WTO’s Trade Finance Expert Working Group. Prior to joining IFC, she worked for the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) where she worked on trade and commodity finance programs, and for the Industrial Bank of Japan (IBJ) where she was the Deputy General Manager. She also worked for Kreditanstalt fuer Wiederaufbau (KfW) under the Staff Exchange Program. Makiko holds a BA degree in Economics from Keio University and a Master's degree from SAIS, Johns Hopkins University.

Manoj Saxena CPO TradeSun Manoj Saxena is the Chief Product Officer at TradeSun, the leading AI platform for trade processing and compliance screening, focused on product development and the strategic direction of current and future products. In addition, he is responsible for developing partnerships with banks, trade finance industry bodies and technology partners. Manoj’s experience in corporate banking and trade finance spans more than 30 years, including 10 years with Citibank and nine years as Chief Technology Officer for Global Trade at JPMorgan Chase where he was responsible for transforming the technology infrastructure and developing the bank’s global back-office processing platform. This included building technology solutions for compliance and TBML functions for the business. Manoj has also worked on digitalization and intelligent automation for document examination using machine learning and AI.

Dr. Marc Auboin Counsellor World Trade Organisation (WTO) Marc Auboin is a Counsellor in the Economic Research and Statistics Division of the WTO. Previously he held several positions at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), was Deputy-Secretary General of the Monetary Committee of the European Union, worked for the French Treasury. Mr. Auboin holds a PhD in Economics.

Michael Bickers Managing Director BCR Publishing Michael Bickers is Managing Director of BCR Publishing Ltd, a specialist publishing company dedicated to the provision of market information on areas of receivables finance including factoring and supply chain finance, through books, the Internet (trfnews.com) and global receivables finance conferences and seminars. He is author of twelve editions of Factoring in the UK, a market report and guide to the UK factoring industry, (1993 – 2008, 2nd and 3rd editions, published by HMSO, other editions BCR); Editor of twenty five editions of the World Factoring Yearbook (published annually by BCR since 1996 in association with FCI); Publisher of the European Trade Finance Yearbook 2012 (BCR in association with EBRD); Editor and joint author of A Review of Global Trade Finance and the Effects of the Current Financial Crises on Emerging Markets - a report commissioned by the World Bank, December 2008; Publisher of the World Supply Chain finance Yearbook 2010 – 2021; Chapter contributor of Factors and Actors (Peter Lang, 2018); Editor of Equipment Leasing in the UK (HMSO, 1995,1996).; Editor of Venture Capital in the UK (HMSO, 1996); Series Editor, International Business Intelligence Reports (published by the Stationery Office Ltd), 1997. Michael’s views, opinions and findings have been printed in leading newspapers and journals including The Financial Times, The Sunday Times, The Times, The Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Director Magazine, Accountancy Age, Business Age, Chartered Banker, Investors Chronicle and Export Today.

Nadia Abdul Aziz Chair ICC UAE Commission on Customs & Trade Facilitation Nadia Abdul Aziz, is the Managing Director/Partner of UNASCO LLC, President of National Association of Freight and Logistics- NAFL (Fiata),Chairperson of WILAT-ME- Women in Logistics & Transport- Middle East (part of CILT, Chair of the ICC UAE Commission on Customs and Trade Facilitation Steering Committee, Vice President of FIATA extended Board .She is also in the Board of Governors for Al Noor Centre for children with special needs and a Board member of Dubai Land Transport Group. Nadia has more than 17 years of experience in Freight & Logistics sector. She has worked in her family business DULSCO LLC – one of the largest man power supply companies in the Gulf. Nadia has a Bachelor's degree in Marketing & Advertising and Master's degree in Business Administration (American University in Dubai). She helps the Al Noor Centre to raise funds for the school and assist with event organization .She mainly focusses on raising the freight /logistics industry standards in the country by offering professional training and in solving industry challenges and opening opportunity doors for the investors to the country in collaboration with government organizations.

Neil Shonhard President MonetaGo Neil’s extensive finance career in sales and management spans 18 years working in both fixed income and equity derivatives, with the last 12 years at TP ICAP. He’s worked in London, Tokyo, and HK, and now leads MonetaGo's global expansion efforts from Singapore as company President.

Nesarul Hoque Senior Vice President Mutual Trust Bank Ltd. ATM Nesarul Hoque is Senior Vice President at Mutual Trust Bank Limited (MTB) with responsibility for looking after Trade Services Operation Division and MTB Financial Institutions along with Offshore Banking activities. Prior to joining at MTB, he was with the Bank Asia Limited at the inception of his banking career in 2005 as Management Trainee. In his experience since, he has dealt with a wide range of facets in the International Trade Banking Business. Mr. Hoque is accredited as a panel of experts’ member of ICC’s Documentary Instruments Dispute Resolution Expertise (DOCDEX) Services. He has written numerous articles on issues pertinent to the documentary credit business and currently is Contributing Editor of Trade Service Updates (formally known as LC Monitor), a quarterly LC Magazine, and an Editorial Advisory Member of Documentary Credit World (DCW), the monthly journal published by IIBLP. Mr. Hoque is also a regular research member on various trade service related issues organized by Bangladesh Institute of Bank Management (BIBM). He has frequently appeared as a speaker and panel member at various international trade seminars, workshops, and conferences held in Bangladesh and abroad. Mr. Hoque has achieved several professional certifications, including his Certificate for Documentary Credit Specialists (CDCS) in 2009, Certificate in International Trade and Finance (CITF) in 2011, Certificate for Specialists in Demand Guarantee (CSDG) in 2015, and Certificate in Trade Finance Compliance (CTFC) in 2020, from the London Institute of Banking & Finance (LIBF), UK. He has also been awarded as a Certified Trade Finance Professional (CTFP) by ICC Academy, Certified Standby & Guarantee Professional (CSGP) by the Institute of International Banking Law and Practice (IIBLP) in 2017. He has also obtained CAMS (Certified Anti Money Laundering Specialist) credential in 2022 from the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS). An MBA with specialization in management from the University of Chittagong, the leading public university of Bangladesh, Mr. Hoque had also earned his BBA from the same institution.

Nigel Hook CEO TradeSun Nigel Hook is a highly accomplished data scientist and the co-founder of SilverHook. He has vast experience in designing and testing fuel efficient vessels, leveraging advanced IOT technologies with IBM to analyze large datasets. He has also worked on hybrid electric propulsion for vessels. Nigel is accelerating the sustainability agenda in trade finance, working with global banking partners to analyze ESG factors, including the efficiency of ships, in transactions and against international frameworks, such as the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Nigel is the CEO and founder of TradeSun, the leading provider of AI-powered trade compliance solutions.

Omar Khan Director, International Offices Dubai Chamber Omar Abdulaziz Khan is Director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry leading the global development and management of Dubai Chamber International Offices. He currently manages eleven offices across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Prior to his current position, Omar held consecutively successful leading positions at Dubai Chamber as Membership & Documentation Services Department Director representing Dubai Chamber at the ICC World Chambers Federation on trade facilitation issues and as Customer Service Centers Director during which he helped to transform Dubai Chamber from having a customer-centric department to being customer-centric organization. Omar has led training sessions in Dubai and the GCC to help implement the ATA Carnet system across the region and regularly participates as MC, presenter and speaker for Dubai Chamber. Before joining Dubai Chamber, Omar worked for HSBC Middle East in the Commercial Banking Sector under the Business Banking Unit as Relationship Manager. Omar holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology.

Rajesh Mehra Practice Lead - Supply Chain Finance International Finance Corporation (IFC) Based in Thailand, Rajesh is Practice Lead for Trade & Supply Chain Finance with IFC FIG Advisory covering Asia & Pacific. He is a seasoned Transaction Banker with 30 years of experience in Corporate Banking, Trade, Supply Chain, covering Sales, Product Management and Operations primarily with Standard Chartered Bank. He has worked in leadership roles in South and Southeast Asia, and Africa managing business across a wide footprint. Rajesh specializes in Open Account, Documentary Trade, Receivable Purchases, Distributor and Supplier Finance Solutions, Structured Warehouse Financing, and SME Banking. In his Group and Regional Trade Finance roles, Rajesh was instrumental in development and growth of documentary and commodity-based products such as Structured Warehouse Finance and Agri Finance. In Africa, Rajesh developed and implemented strategy to materially shift the business from traditional lending to Open Account and Documentary Trade Finance. He was also instrumental in launching and growing the Supply Chain Finance business for SCB in India. Rajesh is an Honours Commerce Graduate from Calcutta University and is a Certified Associate of the Indian Institute of Bankers.

Reda Ezzat Head of Trade & Structured Finance Mashreq Bank, UAE Reda has been in the banking industry for almost 3 decades, primarily as Corporate Banker on the client coverage side, but with focus on Trade and Structured Finance for the past 8 years. Reda has developed extensive experience in the ME market with deep knowledge of business, clients and banking product offering across various sectors. Reda has worked for various International and Local Banks in the region, mainly for HSBC in Egypt and UAE, but also for ANZ, SCB, and NBAD (now FAB). In his current role with Mashreq bank, Reda looks after both the product and sales functions of the Trade Finance business including Receivables, Supply Chain, and Commodity Trade Finance in addition to Structured Solution and digitization around each offering. Reda is a graduate of Commerce, major Accounting and holds a post-graduate diploma in Banking. He is also a CITF Qualified by “The London Institute of Banking & Finance”

Robert Parson Partner Squire Patton Boggs Robert Parson is a partner based in the London office and specialising in commodities and shipping. Robert’s practice includes financing arrangements across the commodity and trade industry. He represents banks and non-bank financiers, funds, large and medium-sized commodity traders, producers, credit insurers and other participants in financing and monetising the international production, storage, movement and distribution of both raw materials and manufactured goods. Robert advises regularly on structured trade and inventory finance and the use of financial instruments such as letters of credit, bills of exchange, promissory notes and other secure payment arrangements in international trade, as well as has expertise in related disputes. Robert has an established reputation in the increasingly important field of digital trade, working on the establishment of digital platforms and the use and enforceability of electronic trade documents and payment instruments. He is also a regular speaker and writer on both digital trade and commodity and trade finance, and is the editor of the legal journal Finance and Credit Law.

Rohit Arora General Manager Liwa Content Driven Rohit believes that for agile brands to be consistently purpose-driven, it’s important to catalyze their sustainable growth. The other way around is equally true. He does that by combining strategy with creative storytelling, data, tech & most importantly, intuition. Over the last two decades, he’s held leadership roles with WPP agencies (Grey, Y&R, JWT & Bates) & in his current role he’s championing brands to harness the power of video-marketing & interactive with inbound-marketing to meaningfully add value across the sales funnel. He’s also earned industry several recognitions like Effie, Jay Chiat, AME, AMEA, Cannes, Dubai Lynx, Digital MENA, Epica & MENA Crystal together with like-minded teams and clients. He’s also an avid writer of opinion pieces, whitepapers and creative reviews that have been published in resources like WARC, Campaign Middle East, Campaign Asia, American Marketer, Luxury Daily, Brand channel, Gulf Marketing Review, Brand Equity & several others. He’s also a guest speaker in Hult International Business School, EMDI Institute of Media & Communication and Amity University.

Rory McCarthy Chief Commercial Officer Yellow Door Energy As the Chief Commercial Officer of Yellow Door Energy, Rory leads the operation and expansion of the company’s business across all markets. Under his guidance, the regional and country teams bring solar energy and energy efficiency solutions to commercial and industrial customers in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia. With over 25 years of global leadership experience, Rory brings forth in-depth customer understanding, comprehensive market knowledge and a relentless drive for sustainable energy growth. Prior to joining Yellow Door Energy, Rory was Managing Director of ARJ Water Technology Group, a company which specializes in water technology and services construction markets throughout the Middle East. He also served as Commercial Director for YALE Europe, part of NACCO Group of Companies. Previously, he was Director for Liberty Media in the UK. Prior to that, he was with Xerox where he worked in Europe, China and New Zealand. Rory holds an MBA from Hult University in the U.S. He also has a Post Graduate Degree in Commerce from Auckland University in New Zealand.

Dr. Rudolf Putz Head of Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Rudolf Putz is Head of EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme and has more than 30 years of experience in financing trade with Eastern Europe, the CIS and the southern and eastern Mediterranean. He started his professional career in 1983 as Deputy Head of Commodity Trade Finance at Centro Internationale Handelsbank AG Vienna, a subsidiary of Raiffeisen Bank International. In 1993 Rudolf Putz joined HELM AG Hamburg as Head of Structured Trade Finance and from 1996 to 1997 he was Deputy Head of Structured Trade Finance at Bank Austria International Trade Services Vienna, a subsidiary of Unicredit. In 1997 he became Director Trade Finance at Deutsche Handelsbank AG Berlin, a subsidiary of Credit Lyonnais, and since 2000 he has been developing EBRD’s Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP). Rudolf Putz holds a Doctor’s Degree from the Vienna University of Economics & Business Administration.

Sameer Sehgal CEO Traydstream Veteran Banker with over 20+ years of experience. Headed Citi's Europe, Middle East & Africa Trade. Exponentially enhanced business growth by 600% in 5 years. Global trade professional with a focus on trade technology and operations.

Shaha Shilpi Senior Manager Trade Operations Standard Chartered Bank Popular among the clients for her outstanding knowledge and ability to resolve complex export transactional issues arising from robust Export-Import Regulations of Bangladesh, Shilpi Shaha, a pharmacist turning out to be an expert in Export Trade Finance, is often also contacted by her ex-clients for such solutions. She’s been working in the banking industry for the last 17 years, currently working in Standard Chartered Bangladesh as Head, Export Product Ops in Trade Operations. Shilpi loves to dance, and she has an amazing daughter who accompanies her in the dance.

Srinath Keshavan Executive Director South Asia TradeAssets Srinath supports FII DMCC out of Singapore. He actively promotes adoption of TradeAssets by financial institutions in East Asia and beyond. Previously a trade finance banker with global transaction experience, Srinath also worked in commodity trading firms overseeing documentation, banking relationships and transactional risk management. He is now an independent consultant in Trade Finance and Financial Crime Compliance. Srinath devotes considerable time in propagating the re-establishment of a dense and uninhibited network of Correspondent Banking relationships to facilitate genuine Trade and bridge the global trade finance gap. He also firmly believes Trade Finance practices are long overdue for a digital makeover. TradeAssets is the perfect vehicle to propel Srinath’s interests because it addresses both aspects of Trade Finance Banking.

Steven Beck Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance Asian Development Bank (ADB) Steven Beck is the head of trade and supply chain finance at the Asian Development Bank (ADB). He has managed exponential growth of the bank’s trade finance business and implemented its first supply-chain finance business. While at the ADB, Steven initiated a tool that maps the entire supply chain for COVID-related goods to address shortages. He initiated the Trade Finance Register of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), which compiles the only industry-wide statistics on trade-finance default and loss rates. These statistics underpinned changes to the Basel III regulations, freeing billions of dollars to support trade in emerging markets. He created the ADB led study that, for the first time, quantified trade finance market gaps and their impact on economic growth and jobs. Under Steven’s leadership, a gender audit was conducted of ADB partner commercial banks to develop specific recommendations to attract, retain, and promote more women in banking. Steven undertook several initiatives to make global trade and supply chains more robust through digitization, including establishing the Digital Standards Initiative in partnership with the Government of Singapore and the ICC. He began his career with roles as a special assistant to the Canadian minister for international trade and as a senior manager at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC). He left CIBC to help start up a new multilateral development bank, the Black Sea Trade & Development Bank (BSTDB), which focused on economic development in Turkey, Russia, and countries of the former Soviet Union. Following BSTDB, he took up roles as a senior consultant, including work with the United States Agency for International Development in southern Africa. Steven is on the governing board of the Digital Standards Initiative, International Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Working Group for Trade Finance. He has an M.A. from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, USA and a B.A. from Queen’s University, Canada.

Sumit Roy President TradeAssets Sumit K Roy is Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of TradeAssets. In over two decades in service, sales, product and relationship management in three continents, he has directly covered institutions and managed teams covering Asia, North America, Middle East and Africa. He is an expert in trade finance and international payments, working briefly with Price Waterhouse before moving to American Express Bank in India, USA and the UAE. After 15 years with Amex, Sumit moved to Deutsche Bank for 9 years, and was Managing Director responsible for banks and other financial institutions in the Middle East and Africa region.

Uzair Bawany Co-Founder & Chief Commercial Officer Traydstream Entrepreneur with global experience in building business. Experienced in the banking, HR & Executive Search, Uzair completed his first MBO in 2003. Co-Founder of Traydstream, a cloud-based platform whose modular technology digitises and brings out Trade Finance document scrutiny results against a vast, evolvable library of Trade Rules. The platform redefines and streamlines Trade Finance processing.

Sponsors

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Organizers

Venue

The Global Trade Facilitation Summit will take place at Dubai Chamber Auditorium.

Click to see location

Accommodation

ICC UAE has arranged a list of recommended hotels located near its main office with preferential rates for the registered delegates.

For all the reservations for the Recommended Hotels, please contact hotel directly:

Sheraton Creek Hotel & Towers 5-Star Hotel Baniyas Rd - Port Saeed - Riggat Al Buteen - Dubai Room Rate starts from AED 408/- ++ For Booking Please contact: Ms. Hadir Omar Assistant Director Of Sales Email: Hadir.Omar@sheraton.com Tel: +971 4 207 1404 Mob: +971 56 369 92 83
Pullman Dubai Creek City Centre: 5-Star Hotel Single: AED 475 net BB + AED 20 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night Double: AED 525 net BB + AED 20 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night Above room rates are Inclusive of 7% Municipality fee, 10% service charges & 5% VAT Above room rates are Excluding AED 20 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night For Booking Please contact: Zain Aurangzaib Senior Sales Manager - Groups T. +971 (0) 4 603 8603 – M. +971 (0) 56 690 0480 – E. H2022-SL9@accor.com
Copthorne Hotel Dubai 4-Star Hotel Deira - Port Saeed – Dubai Superior Room – 32sq meter floor area (city view): AED 325 net BB - single occupancy Superior Room – 32sq meter floor area (city view): AED 360 net BB - double occupancy For Booking and further information Please contact: Emmanuel Calixto Email: H1006.sales02@millenniumhotels.com Phone No. +97142094253 M. +971569951632
Novotel Deira City Centre: 4-Star Hotel Single: AED 395 net BB + AED 15 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night Double: AED 445 net BB + AED 15 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night Above room rates are Inclusive of 7% Municipality fee, 10% service charges & 5% VAT Above room rates are Excluding AED 15 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night For Booking Please contact: Zain Aurangzaib Senior Sales Manager - Groups T. +971 (0) 4 603 8603 – M. +971 (0) 56 690 0480 – E. H2022-SL9@accor.com
Studio M Arabian Plaza Dubai 3-Star Hotel Al Qiyadah - Al Ittihad Rd - Deira – Dubai Urban Room (No Kitchen & Living Room) starts from AED 285/- (Single or Double) For Booking and further information Please contact: Mylene Antonio Email: H1017.sales04@millenniumhotels.com Phone No. +971 4 215 4444 | M. +971 54 586 6027
Ibis Deira City Centre: 3-Star Hotel Single: AED 265 net BB + AED 10 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night Double: AED 295 net BB + AED 10 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night Above room rates are Inclusive of 7% Municipality fee, 10% service charges & 5% VAT Above room rates are Excluding AED 10 Tourism Dirham fee per room per night For Booking Please contact: Zain Aurangzaib Senior Sales Manager - Groups T. +971 (0) 4 603 8603 – M. +971 (0) 56 690 0480 – E. H2022-SL9@accor.com

Visa Support

Citizens of the GCC nations do not require a visa to travel to the UAE.

Visas on arrival:

If your country of nationality appears on the list below, no advance visa arrangements are required to visit the UAE. Simply disembark flight at Dubai International Airport and proceed to Immigration, where the passport will be stamped with visit visa free of charge.

UAE visa on arrival
30 day visit eligibility
If you are a passport holder of the below country or territory, no advance visa arrangements are required to visit the UAE. Simply disembark your flight at Dubai International and proceed to immigration, where your passport will be stamped with a 30 day visit visa free of charge.

90 day visit eligibility
If you are a passport holder of one of the below countries or territories, your passport will be stamped with a multiple entry 90 day visit visa that's valid for 6 months from the date of issue, and for a stay of 90 days in total. Citizens of the below European countries are also entitled to apply for a pre arranged visit visa if their 90 day visa on arrival has been fully utilized.

180 day visit eligibility
If you hold a Mexican passport, you’re eligible for a multiple entry 180 day visit visa that's valid for 6 months from the date of issue, and for a stay of 180 days in total.

Visa Support Letter
Visa Support Letter will be arranged for the citizens of those counties not included in the above list.
Kindly send your passport copy to Habib Rizwan.
Email: habib@iccuae.com

Registration - Global Trade Facilitation Summit 2022 (Wed 16th And Thu 17th March):

Standard Registration Fee - AED 1,450.00 ($395.00) ICC/IIBLP/MDB Members (50% Discount) - AED 725.00 ($195.00) Emerging Market Grant (50% Discount) - AED 725.00 ($195.00) * Virtual Registration Fee - Free of Charge Events (IIBLP 15th) PLUS (ICC UAE 16th & 17th) - AED 1,300.00 ($350.00)

Note: To register for Trade Law & Compliance Conference on Tuesday 15th march 2022 please visit www.iiblp.org

For more information, please contact:
Vincent O’Brien Director, ICC UAE at vob@iccuae.com
Habibullah Rizwan, Operations Manager, ICC UAE at habib@iccuae.com

Photos Day 1

Photos Day 2

Presentation of the Speaker - Global Trade Facilitation Summit 2022

Correspondent Banking – in decay or in transition?
	Srinath Keshavan Executive Director South Asia TradeAssets
Please Click here to Download Presentation

The UAE Joins the EBRD as 72nd Shareholder – What can we expect?
	Dr. Rudolf Putz Head of Trade Facilitation Programme (TFP) European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Please Click here to Download Presentation

The Trade Finance Gap – can it be closed?
	Steven Beck Head of Trade and Supply Chain Finance Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Please Click here to Download Presentation

Press Release

ICC UAE hosts ‘Global Trade Facilitation Summit 2022’
Unique hybrid event unites leaders and practitioners of global trade facilitation programmes

Dubai, UAE, March 14, 2022: The International Chamber of Commerce, United Arab Emirates (ICC UAE) organised the ‘Global Trade Facilitation Summit 2022’ for international trade, finance and business professionals to re-connect as the world emerges from the pandemic and to turn challenges into opportunities.

Integrated with Expo 2020 Dubai the hybrid summit commenced on March 14, 2022 and was attended in-person by 270 delegates at the Dubai Chamber auditorium, while 1,272 delegates from over 72 countries participated virtually.

The week-long summit brought the leaders of global trade facilitation programmes together, with the core agenda being driven by interactions surrounding the work of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs).

Key MDBs at the summit included: Asian Development Bank (ADB), Afreximbank, African Development Bank (AfDB), European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), International Finance Corporation (IFC – Private Sector Arm of World Bank), and International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ITFC).

In a panel session moderated by a World Trade Organisation (WTO) representative, the MDBs outlined how their respective trade facilitation progammes are helping emerging markets trade their way back to recovery.

Participants at the summit gained unique insights into trends, developments, legal and technical issues impacting global trade and finance, while discussions on supply chain challenges, digitalisation and sustainability were substantive elements of the summit.

In his address to the summit’s delegates, H. E. Humaid Ben Salem, Chairman of ICC UAE, said: “The summit, organised at this critical time for the trade community, brought together leaders and practitioners in the facilitation of international trade and finance. The work being done is commendable and it is inspiring to see so many countries join hands with focus and determination to make business work for everyone, every day, everywhere – the central value proposition of the ICC.’’

Hassan Al Hashemi, Secretary General of ICC UAE, added: “The trade facilitation programmes of the Multilateral Development Banks played a huge role in keeping supply chains moving during the pandemic, with all of them increasing the level of their trade finance supports. This successful model must be expanded to increase inclusiveness of developing countries in the trade finance world.”

A key element of the event was ‘The ICC Digital Challenge – show me what you’ve got!’, where fintech companies competed for the award of Best Digital Showcase of the Global Trade Facilitation Summit 2022. Traydstream was declared the winner by a panel of judges, based on its innovative solutions to optimise workflow and management of electronic and paper documents in international trade and finance.

Concluding the summit, Vincent O’Brien, Director of ICC UAE, said: “We have lived up to the theme of the summit: Connect the Trade World and Shape the Future.”

The grand finale of the summit was a complimentary excursion for all delegates to Expo 2020 hosted by Dubai Chamber.

COVID-19 – DAILY UPDATE

Tuesday 26th, November 2024

Requirements for all passengers arriving in Dubai

From 26 February 2022, passengers travelling to Dubai from all countries (GCC included) must fulfil one of the below requirements:

1. Present a valid vaccination certificate(s) reflecting that the passenger is fully vaccinated with a vaccine approved by the WHO or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and includes a QR code

2. Present a valid negative COVID 19 PCR test certificate issued within 48 hours before the scheduled flight departure to Dubai and issued by an approved health service provider with a QR code

3. Present a valid medical certificate with a QR code issued by the relevant authorities that the passenger has recovered from COVID 19 within 1 month from the date of recovery to the date of arrival

If requested, passengers must undergo a PCR test on arrival in Dubai and self quarantine until they receive a negative result. Passengers who test positive for COVID 19 must follow the guidelines issued by the Dubai Health Authority. Note:

• Printed or digital PCR test certificates or vaccination certificates are accepted in English or Arabic and must include a QR code. SMS certificates are not accepted.

• COVID 19 PCR test or vaccination certificates in other languages are acceptable if they can be validated at the departure point.

• COVID 19 vaccination certificates without a QR code can be accepted for travel to Dubai as long as the vaccination certificate is issued by test centres/organisations recognised/approved by the national health authorities of the country.

• PCR tests must be based on a molecular diagnostic test intended for the qualitative detection of nucleic acid for SARS COV 2 viral RNA. Rapid antigen, antibody or any form of rapid lateral flow tests and home test kits will not be accepted.

For transit passenger(s), the rules and conditions for entry at the final destination will apply.