Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Driving commercial and political engagement between Asia, the Middle East and Europe
Date: Wednesday 22 February 2023
Time: 09:00-10:00 (UK time) / 13:00-14:00 (Gulf Standard Time)
Online: Via Zoom (register your interest here)
In partnership with Asia House, Gulf Capital are convening leading figures from ASEAN and the Gulf to discuss the Gulf-ASEAN economic corridor during an online panel discussion on 22 February moderated by Asia House Chief Executive Michael Lawrence OBE. Panellists will discuss the development of closer commercial and trading ties between ASEAN and the Gulf, as well as the emerging economic opportunities in both regions from deeper cooperation.
Last year saw Gulf-ASEAN relations flourish with several bilateral trade and investment deals agreed, the signing of the UAE’s Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with Indonesia, and the restoration of Saudi-Thai diplomatic ties after a three-decade dispute. There are natural synergies between ASEAN and Gulf visions for economic growth which is encouraging closer commercial ties as governments on both sides invest in digitalisation, manufacturing, logistics, and infrastructure to grow their exports.
This discussion follows Asia House’s recent Middle East Pivot to Asia report, which finds that emerging Asia is set to become the Gulf’s biggest trading partner by 2028, with trade surging to reach US$578 billion by 2030. During this digital event panellists will discuss the outlook for the Gulf and ASEAN regions, emerging trends in Gulf-ASEAN relations, and share their insights regarding the implications of this shift in global trade.
Speakers for this digital event include:
REGISTER INTEREST TO JOIN US ONLINE HERE
SPEAKERS INCLUDE
Thomas Lembong, Director, Consilience Policy Institute; Former Minister of Trade, Republic of Indonesia
Thomas Lembong was Indonesia’s Minister of Trade between August 2015 and July 2015 and moved on to become Chairman of Indonesia’s Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) (2016-2019) where he oversaw several steps to reform and improve Indonesia’s investment environment. Lembong previously had a distinguished career in finance with Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, and as Co-Founder and CEO of Quvat Management, a PE fund. He is currently director of Consilience Policy Institute in Singapore. From 2000-2002, he was also a Senior Official at the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA), a government-led economic programme set up to restructure Indonesia’s banks and private sector non-performing loans following the 1997/98 Asian Financial Crisis.
Abdulla Al Hashmi, Chief Operating Officer, Parks and Zones – DP World UAE
Abdulla Al Hashmi joined DP World in 2010 as part of its Commercial Department. Taking on various roles over the years, Al Hashmi has helped the company retain its leading position as a global smart trade enabler by capitalising on the capabilities of advanced technologies. His vision is to create strategic offerings and optimise business operations for the company as its customers.
Al Hashmi oversees Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), Dubai Auto Zone (DAZ) and National Industries Park (NIP). Leading the Parks and Zones pillar, he guides the Parks and Zones division of DP World UAE by creating new synergies and solutions to benefit customers.
Abdulla is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience. In his previous role as Vice President, Business Intelligence, Al Hashmi utilised the power of data to eliminate supply chain disruptions. Abdulla reinforced DP World’s growth and enhanced Dubai and Jebel Ali’s trade competitiveness with accurate data and precise analysis. During the peak of the pandemic, he pioneered an integrated dashboard that gave accurate indicators to decide the best approach for the organisation to facilitate supply chain continuity.
Al Hashmi led the execution of large-scale and complex Mergers & Acquisitions and Greenfield deals. Abdulla participated in the formation of several investment strategies to support the group’s vision to transform from a port operator to a global trade enabler by expanding DP World’s involvement in other supply chain components.
Eric Robertsen, Global Head of Research and Chief Strategist, Standard Chartered Bank
Eric Robertsen is the Global Head of Research and Chief Strategist at Standard Chartered Bank. In addition to managing the Global Research business, he focuses on the development and implementation of investment and trading strategies across all the major asset classes including FX, Rates, and Commodities. This also includes exploring Global Macro investment themes and their implications for asset allocation and portfolio management.
He joined the Bank in 2014 from Millennium Capital Partners in London. He previously held roles in Global Macro strategy and portfolio management at Deutsche Bank and has presented at numerous investor conferences. Eric holds an economics degree from Princeton University.
Paul Srivorakul, Co-founder and Group CEO, aCommerce
Paul is an executive, board director, investor, and entrepreneur who has successfully built, scaled, and exited several internet companies in ASEAN. He is currently the Group CEO of aCommerce, a leading unified E-commerce platform & enabler in Southeast Asia, attracting over 40 million online users from Southeast Asia in 2020. He is also the co-founder and chairman of Ardent Capital, a $20 million early-stage fund and venture builder focused on Southeast Asia. Prior to Ardent, he was the co-founder and CEO of Ensogo Group, New Media Edge, and Admax Network. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley.
Richard Dallas, Senior Managing Director, Gulf Capital
Richard Dallas is a Senior Advisor based between Dubai and Singapore. Richard joined Gulf Capital as a Managing Director in the Private Equity Team in 2007 where he led investment execution and post-acquisition monitoring and was also involved in investment screening. Immediately prior to joining Gulf Capital, he was the Managing Director of Oryx Capital International, a multi-family investment group in Chicago composed of families from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait that specialized in small to mid-cap investments in the US. Prior to that, Richard was a Partner for 13 years at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, one of the world’s largest law firms, where he established and managed the firm’s offices in London and Saudi Arabia. Mr. Dallas received an A.B. degree from Stanford University, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Southern California.
Freddie Neve, Senior Middle East Associate, Asia House and lead author of Asia House’s Middle East Pivot to Asia Report 2022
Freddie leads on Asia House’s Middle East outputs, convening briefings and events with leading business and policy figures and conducting research focused on the region. He is central to Asia House’s engagement with the Middle East, helping corporates better position themselves in the region and providing strategic advice on the business and policy environment there. Freddie is also the lead author of Asia House’s annual ‘Middle East Pivot to Asia’ research publication.
