Leading global investors will discuss how worsening financial conditions around the world are creating rebound opportunities in emerging and frontier markets at the AIM Summit to be held from November 26 to 27 in Dubai.

Each year, the summit draws over 500 investors and investment managers overseeing $10 trillion in assets including sovereign wealth funds, family offices, hedge funds, private equity managers, private debt managers, venture capitalists, endowments, foundations, pension funds, digital asset and blockchain innovators, investors, and disruptors.

Veteran emerging markets fund manager, Mark Mobius, is one of several top business leaders due to speak this year. During his address, Mobius will discuss the investment opportunities created in emerging and frontier markets by a looming trade war between the US and China and rising US interest rates.

Mobius, a partner at Mobius Capital Partners, which previously built the emerging market's arm of US fund management giant Franklin Templeton, said that manufacturing companies in India, garment makers in Bangladesh and footwear firms in Vietnam, are likely to benefit from difficulties in the Chinese market.

“The world of emerging and frontier markets is living up to its reputation as being fast in every way: fast growth and fast adoption of new technologies. We are entering the most exciting years for investors globally,” stated Mobius.

Mishal Kanoo, chairman of Kanoo Group, will also discuss the investment opportunities opening up in the Gulf at the conference.

“Family offices in the Gulf are slowly but surely becoming more sophisticated in their outlook and are looking for something that is out of the ordinary to give their portfolios that extra oomph,” he stated.

“The problem in the past is that there were no credible avenues to explore due to the scarcity of such vehicles. Now, as the demand is increasing, the alternative avenue such as investing in classic cars and such are becoming a reality and are not run by less than credible purveyors. This is something unseen in the region in the past,” he added.

Majority of the investors believe increasing tensions in the Middle East including the continuing wars in Syria and Yemen are creating a gloomier economic environment closer to home. However, they said, opportunities could still be found across the region.

Dr Ryan Lemand, senior executive officer at ADS Investment Solutions, said: “Most leading GCC countries have been reclassified as emerging markets. They have very low debt-to-GDP; currencies pegged to the US dollar; huge foreign currency reserves and, as a result of the volatility in prices have engineered an economic transformation away from oil, so there are a lot of reasons to have exposure to these markets.”

Zachary Cefaratti, founder and chief executive officer at Dalma Capital Management Limited, said that the strong fundamentals enjoyed by markets in Asia and the Middle East will continue to attract investors despite an increasingly challenging global political landscape.

Raha Moradi, conference director, said: “This year, perhaps more than any other, the summit is set to provide a stage for high profile debate where key business leaders across the Middle East and around the globe can attempt to make sense of what is an increasingly challenging global investment landscape.”

“We are looking forward to what we expect to be one of the most interesting and well-attended AIM conferences in our history,” he added.-TradeArabia News Service

Speakers will also include Christof H Rühl, head of global research at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority; Dr Fahad M Alturki, chief economist and head of research at Jadwa Investments; Henry Sender, chief correspondent at the Financial Times; Sabah Al Binali, chief executive officer of Universal Strategy and vice chairman of the Board at The National Investor; and Fiona Treble, director and head of membership at AIMA. – TradeArabia News Service