Overview

Resilience and Growth

Welcome to The Leadership Summit. This is a highly exclusive, by invitation only, meeting of the region’s most senior business leaders. The Summit is programmed and moderated by The Economist Events and attendees will join two strategy sessions to discuss the most pressing issues facing their industries. Conducted under Chatham House rules*, this is a unique opportunity for a thought-provoking discussion with people shaping the business world today and identifying the key trends of tomorrow.

*When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under the Chatham House Rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed.

Who we’ve invited

The Summit will bring together a high profile audience of corporate decision-makers, prominent CEOs, prominent entrepreneurs and business elite from the Middle East region and beyond.

Speakers

Agenda

08:00 Registration and networking
 
09:00 Chairman’s opening remarks
Simon Baptist, global chief economist, The Economist Intelligence Unit
09:10 Emirates NBD opening remarks
Shayne Nelson, Chief Executive Officer (Group CEO), Emirates NBD
09:15 Guest opening remarks: Challenges to global growth
What are the prospects for global growth? Has the trend toward protectionism reached its peak or is there a genuine risk of ongoing trade wars between the world’s major economies?

Dr Raghuram Rajan, Economist

09:45 Strategy session

The two strategy sessions will run concurrently and participants will receive their allocation upon arrival for registration at the venue. In each session, an Economist editor will introduce the session’s topic and moderate a relevant, forward-looking and thought-provoking discussion with the approximately 50 C-suite guests.

Session 1: Frameworks for growth  Against the background of geopolitical tensions, the Middle East’s economies are enacting some far-reaching fiscal reforms that could lead to robust and diversified growth. In this context, how are the region’s entrepreneurs planning to grow their business? How are the region’s businesses accessing new markets? What are the additional concerns and challenges that need to be tackled to ensure continuing future growth? What is keeping the region’s CEOs and leaders up at night?

Discussion points could include:

  • How is the global geopolitical landscape affecting business operations in the Middle East?
  • Have the necessary regulatory frameworks and access to funding been put into place to enable the region’s businesses to scale? Is enough being done in the region to facilitate entrepreneurial growth?
  • Looking beyond the region, where are the best business opportunities to be found and what are the challenges in accessing them?

Session 2: Beating disruption The key to developing and sustaining the region is to develop local leaders, compete globally to attract the brightest talents and then retain a highly competitive workforce. As Middle Eastern economies seek to diversify from oil, is the region doing enough to attract entrepreneurs and startups? How are local companies engaging digital natives and leading the way in new technologies and innovation? What do business leaders need to understand about the millennial mindset?

Discussion points could include:

  • Which entrepreneurs are at the vanguard of innovation? Is the region incubating its own global disruptors?
  • How are businesses driving profits and cutting costs through digital engagement?
  • Getting the most value out of their employees: in the context of digital transformation how are businesses equipping their workforce with critical skills?
  • As consumers evolve, how can industries stay ahead of the trends? What do businesses need to understand about the millennial mindset to capture the next generation of consumers
10:45 Morning refreshment and networking break
 
11:15 Strategy session

The two strategy sessions will run concurrently and participants will receive their allocation upon arrival for registration at the venue. In each session, an Economist editor will introduce the session’s topic and moderate a relevant, forward-looking and thought-provoking discussion with the approximately 50 C-suite guests.

Session 1: Frameworks for growth  Against the background of geopolitical tensions, the Middle East’s economies are enacting some far-reaching fiscal reforms that could lead to robust and diversified growth. In this context, how are the region’s entrepreneurs planning to grow their business? How are the region’s businesses accessing new markets? What are the additional concerns and challenges that need to be tackled to ensure continuing future growth? What is keeping the region’s CEOs and leaders up at night?

Discussion points could include:

  • How is the global geopolitical landscape affecting business operations in the Middle East?
  • Have the necessary regulatory frameworks and access to funding been put into place to enable the region’s businesses to scale? Is enough being done in the region to facilitate entrepreneurial growth?
  • Looking beyond the region, where are the best business opportunities to be found and what are the challenges in accessing them?

Session 2: Beating disruption The key to developing and sustaining the region is to develop local leaders, compete globally to attract the brightest talents and then retain a highly competitive workforce. As Middle Eastern economies seek to diversify from oil, is the region doing enough to attract entrepreneurs and startups? How are local companies engaging digital natives and leading the way in new technologies and innovation? What do business leaders need to understand about the millennial mindset?

Discussion points could include:

  • Which entrepreneurs are at the vanguard of innovation? Is the region incubating its own global disruptors?
  • How are businesses driving profits and cutting costs through digital engagement?
  • Getting the most value out of their employees: in the context of digital transformation how are businesses equipping their workforce with critical skills?
  • As consumers evolve, how can industries stay ahead of the trends? What do businesses need to understand about the millennial mindset to capture the next generation of consumers
12:15 Economist debrief - ask the editors
Simon Baptist, global chief economist, The Economist Intelligence Unit

Pratibha Thaker, Editorial and Regional Director, MEA, The Economist Intelligence Unit


Robert Willock, director, Economist Corporate Network (MENA)

12:30 Lunchtime keynote interview: Innovating through disruption
How are leading companies within the region and across the world capitalising on disruption? What will businesses at the cutting edge of their industries look like in a decade? What impact will the innovations of today have on tomorrow’s economies, businesses and societies?

Marc Randolph, Netflix Co-Founder, Executive Mentor & Angel Investor

 

14:00 Networking opportunity

Venue

 Jumeirah Mina A’Salam
Madinat Jumeirah Jumeira Road
Umm Suqeim 3 Dubai UAE
+971 (0) 4 366 8888

For more information on the venue, please visit Jumeirah Mina A’Salam website

Travel Assistance

For assistance with any travel requirements including visas, flights and hotels
please contact our dedicated representative Ms Rochelle Pereira
Rochelle@ntravel.ae or call +971 (0) 56 2165783

Contact Us

Registration and Delegate Services

If you need any assistance with your registration or if you have any questions regarding your participation as a delegate, please contact: theleadershipsummit@economist.com

General Enquiry

For any other enquiries, please contact theleadershipsummit@economist.com and we will pass this on to the relevant department

Organised by Emirates NBD

Emirates NBD is a leading banking Group in the region. As at 31st March 2018, total assets were AED 475.6 Billion, (equivalent to approx. USD 129.4 Billion). The Group has a significant retail banking franchise in the UAE and is a key participant in the global digital banking industry, with over 90 per cent of all financial transactions and requests conducted outside of its branches. The bank was declared the Most Innovative Financial Services Organization of the Year at the 2017 BAI Global Innovation Awards.

The bank currently has 228 branches and 1057 ATMs and SDMs in the UAE and overseas and a large social media following, being the only bank in the Middle East ranked among the top 20 in the ‘Power 100 Social Media Rankings’, compiled by The Financial Brand. It is a major player in the UAE corporate and retail banking arena and has strong Islamic Banking, Global Markets & Treasury, Investment Banking, Private Banking, Asset Management and Brokerage operations.

The Group has operations in the UAE, Egypt, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore, the United Kingdom and representative offices in China and Indonesia.

The Group is an active participant and supporter of the UAE’s main development and community initiatives, in close alignment with the UAE government’s strategies, including financial literacy and advocacy for inclusion of People with Disabilities under its #TogetherLimitless platform. Emirates NBD Group is an Official Premier Partner of Expo 2020 Dubai.

For more information, please visit: www.emiratesnbd.com

Read more

Programmed
by The Economist Events

The Economist Events is a leading provider of international forums for senior executives seeking new insights into strategic issues. These meetings include industry conferences, management events and government roundtables held around the world. Each meeting organised by the events teams delivers objective and informed analysis. Meetings provide unusually high-level forums where senior executives can gain insights, exchange views and compare strategies.