4th Annual Egypt Trade & Export Finance Conference

Event Review

Egypt's senior bankers and corporate financiers defied the social and political setbacks that have characterised 2011 to convene at Exporta’s 4th Annual Trade & Export Finance Conference in Cairo on October 12, where discussions centred on what is needed to return the country to full economic health.

A strong turnout of around 230 local and international delegates were in attendance to assess how the business community has responded to the challenges faced over the past 12 months, as well as laying out plans to revive the local economy through the historically strong banking sector, with financial institutions still having a key role in financing the country's export sector.

Delegates in attendance were welcomed by an opening speech from Andrew Long, CEO of HSBC Egypt (lead sponsors), who stressed the need for banks to continue lending whilst also focusing on the changing global economic patterns that have seen a continuing shift towards south-south trade, as a result of strong performance in markets such as Asia and ongoing problems in the US and Eurozone. Relationships with these new frontier markets provided a key theme throughout the day, with particular focus on China's role as the new global economic superpower.

Meanwhile, a panel discussion made up of senior figures from leading Egyptian companies emphasised the importance of banks continuing to finance local business in order to drive the country and wider region forward, while other sessions focused on the need to establish political stability and clear economic policy to regain the confidence of foreign investors.

With a record attendance recorded through the door, the conference demonstrated to the outside world that Egypt is still open for business, sending an important message to both the regional and global business community that the country's potential remains vast.

Description

During the course of 2011, the trading environment in Egypt has seen a dramatic change as social and political events have challenged the operational efficiencies of importers, exporters and the many financial institutions operating in the country. Following the success of previous years, Exporta returns to Cairo for the 4th Annual Egypt Trade & Export Finance Conference, bringing together the leading figures in trade and trade finance to discuss their shifting priorities and to share their experiences on what has been a demanding and complex year.

The conference will be a key meeting point for a wide variety of speakers and delegates, including a range of corporates, domestic and international banks, ECAs and multilaterals, insurers and risk analysts as well as various key actors across the supply chain. There will also be simultaneous Egyptian Arabic/English translation during the conference so delegates do not miss essential information no matter what their language preference.

The format of the conference enables delegates to gain individual insights from keynote presentations, contribute to debates during panel discussions and network with the highest level of decision makers in attendance.

Among the topics to be discussed over the course of the day:
• The appeal and perception of the Egyptian market
• Corporate challenges in importing and exporting goods
• Are banks open for business as usual?
• Analysing the changing levels of soft commodity production
• Considering the Gulf region as a primary trading partner
• Evaluating structured finance options for Egypt’s oil and gas sector
• Exploring the opportunities and significance of bilateral trade with Asia
• The role of export finance in facilitating trade
• Multi-banking solutions for LCs, guarantees and open account transactions

Who should attend?
• Trade, export and commodity finance heads and directors
• Corporate finance directors, CFOs and treasurers
• Insurance underwriters and brokers
• Export credit agencies
• Multilaterals
• Solution providers
• Lawyers and consultants
• Market analysts and policy advisors

As with all Exporta events, strong emphasis is placed on networking. As such, there will be numerous networking opportunities as well as a special evening reception following the event where all delegates can continue the day's discussions and engage in further dialogue in a more informal setting.
 

Event Photos

Brochure

Programme

08.00 Registration and refreshments

09.15 Chairman’s opening remarks
Yaser Gamali, Head of Global & Commercial Banking, HSBC Bank Egypt

09.20 Conference welcome
Mounir El Zahid, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Banque Du Caire

09.25 Keynote: The appeal and perception of the Egyptian market
Andrew Long, Chief Executive Officer, HSBC Bank Egypt
• Reflections on the challenges and opportunities of the past year
• How have regional protests affected the trading environment?
• Are the fundamentals of the Egyptian economy strong enough to instill confidence in foreign investment?

09.45 Panel discussion: Are banks open for business as usual?
Moderator: Michael Lacey, Managing Partner, Cairo, SNR Denton
Mohsen Rashad, Head of Financial Institutions & Correspondent Banking, Arab-African International Bank
Tomas Duffy, Deputy Director, Large Corporates, EKN
Aziz Khyari, Regional Consultant, MENA & Turkey, Euromonitor International
Ahmed Hanaa Eldin Mohamed, Trade Finance Officer, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
Sonam Kapadia, Executive Director, Global Trade, MENA Region, J.P. Morgan
Hamed Hassouna, Regional Chief Representative, Union de Banques Arabes Et Francaises (UBAF)
• Analysing trade finance risk appetite in Egypt
• For how long will financial institutions adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude?
• Assessing the liquidity levels and deal margins of local banks
• What effect have recent events had on foreign direct investment?

10.45 Networking break

11.30 Exploring the opportunities and significance of bilateral trade with Asia
Mona El Sayed, Head, Global Transaction Banking, HSBC Bank Egypt
• Asia-Egypt: Reflections on key bilateral trade routes
• How geographical advantages are facilitating trade
• Do corporates entering the region prefer their domestic banks or Egyptian banks for funding?
• What challenges do Egyptian corporates face in exporting to the Asian market?

12.00 Panel discussion: Corporate challenges in importing and exporting goods
Moderator: Doaa Hafez, Head of Client Relation & Operation, Egypt Factors
Amr Daba, Chief Financial Officer, Kandil Steel
Walid Ragab, Chief Financial Officer, Lafarge
Magdy Almor, Chairperson, Noor Midas Textile
Ayman Refaat, Finance Director, Samcrete Development
• How have priorities changed from the start of the year?
• Infrastructure priorities: Shared experiences in domestic and cross-border trading
• What do corporates need? What do corporates want?
• What more can financial institutions do to facilitate growth?

13.00 Lunch

14.30 Considering the Gulf region as a primary trading partner
Mariam Jarrar, Regional Consultant, MENA & Turkey, Euromonitor International
• Reflections on key bilateral trade routes
• Which sectors have benefited most from this lucrative trade ally?
• What challenges do corporates from the Gulf region face when exporting to Egypt?
• Will it be ‘business as usual’ post-elections?

15.00 Multi-banking solutions for LCs, guarantees and open account transactions
Marie-Christine Diaz, Senior Solution Manager, Swift
• Assessing uptake of multi-banking solutions globally and across the MENA landscape
• Is the reliance on traditional LCs and guarantees obstructing or encouraging expansion into new markets?
• What are the treasurer priorities in processing client/supplier transactions?
• Is there sufficient appetite in the market to secure open account transactions?
• What are the recent evolutions in terms of standards and market practices?

15.30 Networking break

16.00 Evaluating structured finance options for Egypt’s oil and gas sector
Helmy Ghazi, Head of Structured Finance, HSBC Bank Egypt
• How has the oil and gas sector been affected by the protests?
• In what ways will the sector be affected by the elections?
• Considering the effect of fluctuating energy prices
• Best practices in structuring an oil and gas deal

16.30 Panel discussion: The role of export finance in facilitating trade
Moderator: Dora Fiani, Chief Executive Officer, Coface Egypt
Kanayo Awani, Director, Trade Finance, Afreximbank
Tarek Adly, International Relations Director, Export Development Bank of Egypt
Mohamed Ragui, Managing Director, Export Development Fund (Ministry of Trade and Industry)
Raouf Ghabbour, Chairman, GB Auto Group
Hubert Bock, Managing Director, Misr Bank Europe
Michael Kenny, Partner, Watson, Farley & Williams
• What new trends have developed in export finance from the start of 2011?
• Have fluctuating commodity prices had an effect on export levels?
• Analysing new and existing products in the export finance market to facilitate trade
• What is the biggest challenge for Egyptian exports?

17.30 Close of conference followed by evening netwroking reception

Venue

Accommodation

Delegates are responsible for the arrangement and payment of their own travel and accommodation.

Upon registering to attend this event, Exporta will inform you of how to book accommodation at the venue.

Sponsors

Sponsorship opportunities including exhibition stands are available for this event.

To become a sponsor, please contact Tom Whitehead, Head of Sponsorship Sales at twhitehead@exportagroup.com.

Exporta's events have a global reputation, renowned for superb networking opportunities and educational presentations by high-profile speakers.

Time after time our events attract the leading companies in our market as sponsors.

See below for a full list of our Event Sponsors, Institutional Partners and Media Partners and click on the logo to visit their web site. 

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