On 2nd November, Richad Soundardjee, CICC’s Head of the UAE Preparatory team, attended the 2023 Dubai Business Forum organized by Dubai Chambers, hosted under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

Powered by Dubai Chambers, the 2023 Dubai Business Forum aims to provide a platform for global corporations and fast-growing businesses to forge partnerships, discuss emerging trends, cultivate international networks, and unlock new opportunities. With the theme of “Shifting economic power: Dubai & the future of global trade,” it brought together the participation of top global business talents and government representatives.

Richad spoke in the on-stage discussion titled "Buoyancy of Dubai Capital Markets: A Hotspot for Investors" alongside His Excellency Hamed Ali, CEO of Dubai Financial Market and Nasdaq Dubai. The discussion delved into the attractiveness of Dubai’s capital markets as a growing hub for local, regional, and international issuers and investors. During the discussion, HE Hamad Ali provided the audience insights into Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and Nasdaq Dubai’s extensive, global investor network, robust funding support, and enhanced liquidity, providing public and private entities with a solid foundation for the expansion of their business. Richad shared his perspectives as a senior investment banking veteran in the Middle East as to the fast growth of the Dubai capital markets over the past years and highlighted how the stock exchanges are grounded into the very fabric of the economies of Dubai and the region, particularly in light of the recent stream of high-profile IPOs hosted on these exchanges. Richad also articulated his anticipation that the UAE, with its favorable business environment, would attract more Chinese companies as part of its global expansion strategy, and stands as an optimal gateway for these companies to access the opportunities presented by local capital markets, offering local and regional investors compelling China-based equity stories.

CICC is committed to becoming the premier two-way investment banking gateway between the MEA region and China by deploying our capabilities in connecting, facilitating, advising, and structuring capital flows between the two regions.