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UAE Freezones Biz News Updates
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UAE and South Africa bankers strengthen ties
The two-day series of events featured discussions led by guest speakers
Cass Business School’s Dubai Centre, part of City University London, this
week hosted the annual meeting of high profile South African banking
executives at the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC).
The two-day series of events featured discussions led by guest speakers,
Ammar Shams, Regional Head of Corporate Sustainability at HSBC, Pinaki Aich,
Director-Strategy, Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, Aathira
Prasad, Director at Nasser Saidi and Associates, Dr. Sohail Zubairi, Chief
Executive Officer, Dar Al Sharia Legal & Financial Consultancy LLC., and
Makameh Afkhami Vice-President, Head of Retail Strategy, Group Strategy,
Emirates NBD.
The visit by delegates from various South African banks and one of the
leading skills development agencies, Banking Sector and Education and
Training Authority (BANKSETA), follows a week of renewed focus on the UAE
equity markets following the largest one-day net selling activity by local
investors and traders since 2009. Topics included performance predictions
for the UAE economy in addition to an overview of Islamic Banking, DIFC, and
the UAE and wider region’s retail banking culture.
Originally established by the South African Department of Labour (now the
Department of Higher Education and Training), BANKSETA aims to develop
skills within the country’s banking and microfinance sectors. BANKSETA has
worked with the Wits Business School in South Africa and Cass Business
School in the UK to develop the International Executive Development
Programme (IEDP), which seeks to identify and develop high-potential future
leaders of the South African financial services industry.
Max Makhubalo, BANKSETA CEO, said, “South Africa’s commercial ties with the
UAE continue to strengthen and our 2013 visit to the DIFC remains a
highlight of BANKSETA’s annual calendar. On behalf of BANKSETA, I would like
to thank the Cass Dubai Centre, DIFC and all the speakers who have shared
with us their invaluable industry insight throughout the visit.”
Ehsan Razavizadeh, Regional Director, MENA and Head of the Cass Dubai
Centre, said, “We are delighted to welcome our colleagues from South
Africa’s banking centre to Dubai, one of the world’s most vibrant and
dynamic banking hubs. Dubai continues to attract a vast pool of skilled and
multilingual talent from all over the world thanks to its strategic location
as a hub for the Middle East, Africa and Asia region and we are honoured to
play a part in the strengthening of banking ties between this part of the
world and South Africa.”
September 10, 2013 |
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Courtesy Al Nisr Publishing LLC
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