Webinar: A new road to finance

15 November 2020
The outlook for project finance in the UAE and wider Middle East region

Register here

The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region is witnessing one of the fastest population growths in the world. At the same time, the region is seeing a massive expansion of its cities with over 70 per cent of people residing in urban areas.

The focus is now shifting to building optimal urban communities and efficient infrastructure. More than $1.1tn-worth of infrastructure projects are planned across the Mena region, with the UAE accounting for nearly $146bn of this total. Since the fall in global oil prices in 2014, governments across the region have seen a widening gap between infrastructure requirements and available funding.

And while challenges persisted even before Covid-19, the pandemic has forced governments to significantly reconsider their spending plans. This is invariably having an effect on both planned and underway infrastructure schemes. 

The challenge now is to find new ways to fund these government projects.

On 19 November, at 11am GST, the seventh webinar in the Mashreq Construction Club Connect Series looks at the outlook for project finance in the UAE and wider Middle East region. With insights from leading experts in public-private partnerships (PPPs) and project finance, the webinar will provide up-to-date views on:

> What are the project finance requirements for infrastructure in the Middle East?

What is preventing the public sector from shouldering funding responsibility entirely?

What are the alternative paths for finance for schemes?

What is the importance of export credit in such an environment?

Our expert panellists include:

  • Rajit Nanda, chief investment officer, Acwa Power
  • David Moleshead, senior counsellor, MEAP Region UK Export Finance
  • Rajeev Singh, infrastructure advisory partner, Ernst & Young
  • Aditya Kotibhaskar, senior director of investment banking, Mashreq Bank
  • Mohammad al-Shouli, EVP, head of contracting finance, Mashreq Bank
  • Moderator: Richard Thompson, Editorial Director, MEED 

Like all our events, we encourage live questions; however, please don’t hesitate to share your questions for our speakers in advance by emailing Gauri.Dhawan@meed.com.

Click here to register your participation.

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