Registration & Morning Refreshments

Introductory Remark: Murat EFE, Chairman & Founder, Turkish-Arab Economic Forum

Türkiye and the Arab World: A Global Corridor for Investment, Trade, and Technology

Speakers:

• H.E. Eng. Noora Suleiman Salem Al-Fassam, Minister of Finance, Kuwait
• H.E. Taif Sami Mohammed, Minister of Finance, Iraq
• H.E. Ahmed Kouchouk, Minister of Finance, Egypt
• H.E. Dr. Kalid Al-Mabrouk, Minister of Finance, Libya
• H.E. Dr. Youssef El Khalil, Minister of Finance, Lebanon

Moderator: H.E. Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Treasury and Finance, Türkiye

Opening Session

Speakers:

• Erkan Kork, Turkish – Arab Economic Forum Strategic Partner
• Faysal Abou Zaki, Deputy CEO, Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Co
• Khaled Hanafy, Secretary General, The Union of Arab Chambers
• E. Khalid Ali Salim Al Senaidi, Assistant Secretary for Economic and Development Affairs at the GCC SG
• Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, President, The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB)
• Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, President, Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye

Award Ceremony

Networking Coffee Break

Panel 1: Building on Success and Capitalizing on Geoeconomic Advantages

• New horizons for economic partnerships, trade, and investment over the past decade
• Forging ahead with new trade agreements
• Expanding FDI and other investments into new industries

Panelists:

• H.E. Osman Çelik, Deputy Minister of Treasury and Finance, Türkiye
• Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali, Country Director, The World Bank, Gulf Countries
• Ayman F. Alfi, Assistant Deputy for Bilateral Relations, Ministry of Finance, KSA
• Faris Al Mazrui, Head of Venture and Growth, Mubadala, UAE

Moderator: Walid Abou Zaki, Executive Director, Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Co.

Panel 2: Building a Global Trade Corridor

• Leveraging the strategic location of Türkiye and the Arab region as a bridge connecting major global markets in Asia, Europe, and Africa
• Maximizing the benefits of this positioning to facilitate more efficient and expansive trade, investments, and energy corridors
• Connecting the dots of trade routes between Türkiye and the Arab countries
• The Iraq Development Road: A transformative infrastructure project boosting regional trade and connectivity

Panelists:

• H.E. Taif Sami Mohammed, Minister of Finance, Iraq
• Fawaz Bilbeisi, Regional Manager, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Lebanon,
• International Finance Corporation (IFC)
• Erdal Eren, President, Turkish Contractors Association, Türkiye
• Hashim S. Hussein, Head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization, Investment and Technology Promotion Office in the Kingdom of Bahrain
• Ahmed Mohamed El Wakil, Chairman, Union of African Chambers of Commerce, Agriculture, Industry and Professions, Egypt

Moderator: Halit Acar, Chairman, DEİK Turkish Iraq Business Council, Türkiye

Keynote Address by: H.E. Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of Treasury and Finance, Türkiye

Lunch hosted by The Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB)

Panel 3: Emerging Opportunities and the Arab Economic Evolution

Exploring new avenues for partnerships in green energy, technology, logistics, and services

• Identifying high-potential sectors for future growth and innovation
• Innovative models for governments: How governments can adopt new technologies and strategies to foster innovation and create sustainable development frameworks
• Diversification strategies in the Gulf and the future of trade and investment in the Arab countries
• Energy transition in the Arab world
• Building the knowledge economy on technology and innovation

Panelists:

• H.E. Eng. Noora Suleiman Salem Al-Fassam, Minister of Finance, Kuwait
• Baraa Al-Mansouri, Director of Economic Competitiveness department, Ministry of Finance, Qatar
• Mohamed Al Sharhan, Managing Director, World Government Summit, UAE
• Khalid Al Marzooqi, Vice President of International Business Development, KEZAD Group, UAE
• Ufuk Uyan, General Manager, Kuveyt Türk, Türkiye (TBC)

Moderator: Ayşe Özden, Head of Treasury, A &T Bank, Türkiye

Keynote Address, Fatih Karahan, Governor, Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey

Panel 4: The Banking, Fintech and Capital Corridor

• How banks are supporting the expansion of trade and investments between Türkiye and Arab countries
• Expanding capital markets
• The role of Islamic banking and financial institutions in fostering trade and investment
• Fintech innovations driving cross-border transactions and financial inclusion
• The growing influence of digital payment platforms and fintech startups in transforming traditional banking

Panelists:

• Ufuk Bilgetekin, Chairman, Association of Payment and Electronic Money Institutions of Türkiye (TÖDEB), Türkiye
• Mahmut Aydoğmuş, International Relations Director, Borsa İstanbul (BİST), Türkiye
• Erhan Yazgan, Board Member, Payfix, Türkiye
• Yousuf Mohamed Al-Jaida, CEO, Qatar Financial Center (TBC)

Moderator: Ayşegül Şensoy, Country Manager of Fuze and Chairwoman of Istanbul Blockchain Women

Closing Remarks: Vision for the Future

• Envisioning the next phase of partnerships, focusing on sustainable growth and development
• Developing strategies to enhance economic partnerships and create a resilient economic corridor

Panelists:

• Humberto Lopez, Country Manager, World Bank, Türkiye

Networking Coffee Break