For more information contact: emailus@marcusevans.com Albena Georgieva, Summit Producer of the marcus evans Middle East Alternative Investments Summit 2011, provides an account of the discussions led by leading regional thinkers. Join the 2014 Middle East Investments Summit along with leading regional investors in an intimate environment for a highly focused discussion on the latest investment strategies in the market. For more information contact: emailus@marcusevans.com

1. 22 - 24 March 2011 | Park Hyatt Dubai | UAE
Middle East Investors Shared Ideas
on Key Alternative Strategies
Albena Georgieva, Summit Producer of the marcus evans Middle East Alternative
Investments Summit 2011, provides an account of the discussions led by leading regional
thinkers.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The marcus evans Middle East Alternative Investments Summit 2011 took place on 22-24 March at the Park Hyatt Dubai,
welcoming once again institutional investors of the highest calibre.
Investment companies from the MENA region gathered to discuss the most burning issues they are faced with, including risk
management, Islamic finance, geopolitical pressures defining the future of the Middle East region and asset allocation trends.
Representing a substantial amount of investor capital, the Middle East Alternative Investments Summit is now among the premier
events for Middle East institutional investors.
Geopolitical risk is among the top fat tail risks that Middle East institutional investors should be considering, according to various
speakers at the Middle East Alternative Investments Summit 2011. While the region has the best demographic outlook,
transparency and risk management are still lacking when compared to institutional investors in developed markets.
The repair of balance sheets did not leave MENA investment companies unharmed, but a more substantial issue highlighted at the
event was deleveraging in the public sector. Economic recovery worldwide is held back by debt and how the sovereign debt crisis
will be resolved remains to be determined as the decision on Greek debt is looming.
Entering a world of structurally lower inflation and growth rates, fiscal policy manoeuvres in leading international economies will
be more important than ever. Middle East institutional investors will have to prudently time asset allocation decisions to heed
interest rate changes and fiscal tightening.
Substantial attention was directed to currency rates. Some speakers claimed that the dollar peg in the Middle East no longer makes
sense because the USA is no longer running a global economy. As money flows from surplus countries to deficit countries,
emerging markets continue to receive the bulk of new investor capital. However, China may be at a tipping point and has a rapidly
aging population, so while domestic demand has not reached its ceiling yet, a gradual cooling of the Chinese economy may follow.
Amidst turmoil in developed markets, Middle East institutional investors find a safe haven in Islamic finance. Inherently better
prepared for Basel III due to its intrinsic conservative nature, Islamic finance faces a set of challenges of its own. Already going
beyond responsible investing by covering more than just ESG factors, Islamic finance needs to ensure compliance equally in
financial as well as non-financial activities such as liquidity management or information technology. Short on experts with
experience, Islamic finance investment companies must aim for industry harmonisation and minimise overlap with conventional
finance, in order to set the sector on a healthy path of growth.
www.meai-summit.com

2. 22 - 24 March 2011 | Park Hyatt Dubai | UAE
Contact: Sarin Kouyoumdjian-Gurunlian, Press Manager, marcus evans, Summits Division
Tel: + 357 22 849 313
Email: press@marcusevanscy.com
About the Middle East Alternative Investments Summit 2011
This unique forum will take place at the Park Hyatt Dubai, UAE, 22 - 24 March 2011. Offering much more than any
conference, exhibition or trade show, this exclusive meeting will bring together esteemed industry thought leaders and
solution providers to a highly focused and interactive networking event. The summit includes presentations on managing
liquidity, locating investment opportunities and sharpening your investment edge.
For more information please send an email to info@marcusevanscy.com or visit the event website at
www.meai-summit.com
marcus evans group – investment sector portal
Complementing our summit format, the Investments Network – marcus evans Summits group delivers peer-to-peer
information on strategic matters, professional trends and breakthrough innovations. Lend an ear to fellow experts and
live news from our events on our LinkedIn and Twitter accounts.
Please note that the summit is a closed business event and the number of participants strictly limited.
About marcus evans Summits
marcus evans Summits are high level business forums for the world’s leading decision-makers to meet, learn and
discuss strategies and solutions. Held at exclusive locations around the world, these events provide attendees with a
unique opportunity to individually tailor their schedules of keynote presentations, think tanks, seminars and one-to-one
business meetings. For more information, please visit www.marcusevans.com
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www.meai-summit.com