EuroFinance’s Trade, Treasury and Cash Management in the Middle East event was held in Dubai last month with over 300 senior treasury professionals in attendance.

The event was sponsored by Emirates NBD, HSBC, RBS and J.P. Morgan

Senior treasury professionals heard from leading Middle East businesses such as Al-Futtaim, Taghleef Industries, Almarai Company, the Saudi Arabian Amiantit Company and Chalhoub Group.

News of the Dubai World debt restructuring deal, announced just a couple of days after the conference, highlighted the financial crisis that Dubai has been experiencing since last year – a crisis that featured in many of the conference sessions. The cost and scarcity of bank finance were key issues for many corporate treasurers present, as was the lack of uniformly high-level corporate governance throughout the region, which hinders transparency in financial markets.

There were case studies on cross-border fund transactions, building a flexible and less vulnerable treasury and the impact of incoming regulation on corporate financial operations. Senior finance executives from Middle East-based operations of foreign multinationals such as Mercedes Benz/Daimler, Borealis and Halliburton joined the discussion.

The conference was chaired by Chris Robinson, Senior EuroFinance Tutor; and Director, transactionbanking.com.

View some photos of the event.