Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended, today, the opening session of the 7th edition of The Annual Investment Meeting, AIM 2017, held under his patronage at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Themed “International Investment and Competitiveness”, AIM is organized by the Ministry of Economy.

UAE Minister of Economy Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri gave the inaugural address welcoming ministers and participants of AIM that serves as a platform bringing together high level officials, world’s renowned investment experts and academia specialized in investment and economy.

Al Mansouri affirmed that thanks to the open policy and wise leadership directives, the UAE is keen to offer an environment supportive to investors who seek stability in infrastructure and growth in the emirate that has an economy considered the second largest in the Arab world. 

"The UAE ranked 16th in the Global Competitiveness Report in 2016-2017, thus the most competitive position in the region. The UAE is also the largest investment-attracting country in the Middle East and North Africa region, according to UNCTAD's Global Investment Report 2016," Al Mansouri said.

He added: "In contrast to 2015, FDI inflows in 2016 have shrunk to $ 1.5 trillion. This decline was more pronounced in emerging markets than in developed economies. As a result, emerging markets face increasing challenges to attract global FDI. To succeed in our efforts, decision-makers in emerging markets must recognize the different motivations and incentives of foreign investments in different sectors, which require a mix of differentiated policies to maximize the potential benefits of FDI."

Among the speakers were the Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Mukhisa Kituyi and Khalifa bin Salem Al Mansouri from the Department of Economic Development in Abu Dhabi.