The Arab region has seen significant progress in education, particularly for women, thanks to the ambitious Visions for 2030 and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Governments have prioritised education reform to break generational cycles of poverty, inequality, and stagnant economic growth, leading to Arab women excelling in education and driving regional prosperity.

Trade is critical in advancing economies, including those in the MENA region. At the same time, trade finance presents unique opportunities for criminal exploitation, also referred to as Trade Based Financial Crime (TBFC).

For many SMEs, the financing gap is always a major concern. It is reported that financing shortages count for more than half of SMEs’ problems. This issue is important for national policymakers, and financiers, as SMEs are major drivers of economic growth, employment, and social development in all economies, but especially in developing countries.

The Basel regulations have been continuously refined and updated to address new risks and challenges in the global banking sector, with the overall aim of promoting financial stability and preventing future crises.

A typical fund structure uses proceeds from shareholder subscriptions to invest in a diverse pool of assets. A fund generally cannot default if it has no debt obligations but rather will experience changes in its total return or net asset value available to fund shareholders (the investors).

Saying the world’s oceans are vast is an understatement. If one were to sail from Cape Town to Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote inhabited island, located over 2,000 kilometres to the nearest land, the voyage would take longer than it took Apollo 11 to reach the moon.

Recent news reports have suggested that the European Union Parliament will likely retain treatment of certain trade finance instruments at a credit conversion factor (CCF) of 20% instead of increasing it to 50%, but trade finance specialists tracking the ongoing proceedings have said that the EU banking community needs to remain extremely cautious.

The MLETR (Model Law on Electronic Transferable Records) is a revolutionary solution that aims to transform the trade finance industry by providing an open framework for digitising trade documentation. 

Dubai’s undeniable growth in trade, logistics and the financing of international commerce has made it one of the most desirable trade destinations in the world. This is why I invested more time with members of the ITFA Middle East committee in 2022. 

Persistent structural gaps within and between the world’s economies will decisively influence trade in the years ahead. This was one of the key findings in the latest Future of Trade report.