Inaugural conference to take place 18-19 March at Almas Tower
Diamond financing will take centre stage at the Dubai Diamond Conference 2013 (DDC 2013), the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) confirmed today.
Set to be the most significant diamond event of the year, the conference will take place from 18-19 March at Almas Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers; home to the Dubai Diamond Exchange, one of the world’s leading diamond trading platforms.
Peter Meeus, Chairman, Dubai Diamond Exchange, said:
“In 2011, the Dubai diamond trade recorded an annual turnover of over US $39 billion. One of the most crucial contributing factors to this growth was the support demonstrated by international financial institutions, many of which are based outside the UAE. The global Dubai Diamond Conference will certainly attract more UAE-based banks into financing a business that has become a significant element of Dubai’s foreign trade”.
The second day of DDC 2013 will bring together an international panel of bankers to debate the topic ‘Banking in the times of the New Silk Route’. Industry analyst Chaim Even Zohar will moderate the discussion between some of the world’s leading diamond bankers, including: Dirk Dullaert, Senior Vice President, Head of International Relations, Antwerp Diamond Bank; Erik Jens, CEO, ABN Amro Diamond and Jewellery division; and Kishore Lall, Managing Director, Global Head, Diamond and Jewellery/Wholesale Banking – Origination and Client Coverage of Standard Chartered Bank.
Chaim Even-Zohar, President, Tacy Ltd, added:
“The diamond industry weathered the storm of the global financial crisis without serious debt defaults and diamond prices are now reaching historical heights. This is a testimony to the financial acumen, resiliency and soundness of the business. However, although the fundamentals of the industry look stronger than ever, unexpected scarcity of liquidity may hamper its growth.
In light of this, the Dubai Diamond Conference will enable bankers and pipeline players to explore how to jointly manage the diamond industry’s evolving economic and regulatory environment to secure its continued growth and prosperity.”
Further details on the Dubai Diamond Conference – The New Silk Route – can be found on www.diamondconference.ae. Registration will close on Tuesday 13 March, 2013.