The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) took part in the recent Asian Financial Forum in order to further strengthen relations in financial services between Dubai, Hong Kong and Asia.

The forum, hosted in Hong Kong, was attended by 2,400 delegates from Asia, Europe and America, where finance ministers, central bankers, heads of governments and business leaders gathered to discuss economic developments and business trends in China and the rest of Asia.

Saeb Eigner, chairman of DFSA, delivered an address on the opening morning of the seventh edition of the forum.

“The focus of this year’s forum was the challenges and opportunities powering world growth. We all know that the UAE is highly competitive as a trading and financial hub,” said Eigner.

“Financial institutions in Dubai and the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) are playing a central role in driving trade, investment and infrastructure finance. The future will belong to vibrant cities like Hong Kong and Dubai which continue to pioneer, innovate and implement strategies quickly and efficiently with visionary leadership and efficient governments.

“Dubai has been successful in attracting major global organisations by being a regional business hub. The emirate’s growth plays testament to the founding father of Dubai and now through the skill and exemplary leadership of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai,” he added.

Dubai enjoys excellent trade and finance relationships with Hong Kong and the rest of Asia, he noted.

These will continue to grow in 2014, including in the Islamic finance arena. Since the initiative for Dubai to be the global hub for the Islamic economy was announced, plans are moving ahead, with the necessary legislation already in place. In 2013, the DFSA witnessed many successful issues of sukuk on NASDAQ Dubai, where $6 billion worth of sukuk were listed, up from $1 billion in 2012.

Eigner added: “The highly international nature of the DIFC causes us at the DFSA to place great emphasis on international collaboration with other regulators in supervisory colleges of the world’s largest financial institutions, as well through active participation in the work of the global financial sector standard-setters; the Basel Committee, the International Organisation of Securities Commissions, the International Association of Insurance Supervisors and the Islamic Finance Services Board.  We currently have nearly 100 bi-lateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with other regulators worldwide.” – TradeArabia News Service