Former chairman of the US Federal Reserve Dr Ben S Bernanke will speak at the 2014 Global Financial Markets Forum (GFMF), organised by the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD).

Dr Bernanke, who left his post as the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on February 3, will speak on the first day of the two-day Forum, which begins on March 4.
Jean-Claude Trichet, former president of the European Central Bank, will join a lineup of other highly respected thinkers and influential policy-makers who will offer GFMF delegates a broad and balanced analysis of world market conditions and potential in 2014.

“Dr Bernanke and Mr. Trichet oversaw the world’s largest economies during very turbulent times and will be able to offer insightful and valuable analysis of the state of the economy at the 2014 Global Financial Markets Forum,” said Alex Thursby, the group chief executive officer of NBAD. “We are confident that 2014 GFMF speakers and panelists will offer insightful and critical analysis of political and policy impacts on global markets.”

This year’s conference will commence with a welcome address by Nasser Ahmed Alsowaidi, the chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and chairman of NBAD. This will be followed by the keynote speech titled "Establishing Abu Dhabi as a Financial Centre," to be delivered by Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace.

The first day of 2014 GFMF also offers keynote speeches by global statesmen and policymakers - James A Baker III, the former US Secretary of Treasury and State; Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of Culture, Youth, and Social Development; and Lawrence H Summers, former US Secretary of Treasury who also served as director of White House National Economic Council, president of Harvard University, and chief Economist of the World Bank.

The day will also include a panel discussion comprising executives of Abu Dhabi’s top companies: Abubaker Seddiq Khoori, chairman of Aldar Properties; Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, chairman of Abu Dhabi Global Marketplace, Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi, deputy group CEO and chief executive officer, emerging sectors at Mubadala. The panel is moderated by Sameh Al Qubaisi, managing director and  head of corporate sales at NBAD’s Global Markets Division.

Another topic covered on the first day of the Forum: “Five things they didn’t tell you at Davos” by Mark Blyth, professor of International Political Economy at Brown University and commentator David McWilliams.

Alex Thursby, the Group CEO of NBAD, will deliver the opening remarks on the second day.

In the first panel discussion of the second day, Sultan Bin Nasser Al Suwaidi, the Governor of the Central Bank of the UAE, will join Trichet and Dr Choongsoo Kim, Governor of Bank of Korea, the country’s central bank. This panel is moderated by John Defterios, CNN's emerging markets editor and anchor.

Another panel titled “The State of the World Today,” will comprise Trichet, Peter Knez, founder and chief executive officer of Incapture; and Alastair Newton, managing director and senior political analyst at Nomura International.

“We have chosen a select group of distinguished experts who will provide balanced and thorough analysis of the world economy with a particular emphasis on the increasing importance and influence of the West-East Corridor, which stretches from West Africa to East Asia,” says Mahmood Al Aradi, the senior managing director and head of global markets at NBAD. – TradeArabia News Service