Kabir Mulchandani Interview - Arabian Business Forum Dubai

Kabir Mulchandani Interview - Arabian Business Forum Dubai
Kabir Mulchandani

Thursday, November 3, 2011

The Choice for Investors in the Middle East

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is the life-blood of any economy. It drives change and growth, brings prosperity, and improves the quality of life. Increased jobs, opportunities, more knowledge sharing and technology transfer alongside the inflow of foreign currency are some of the key advantages of FDI.

The UAE has always lead the Middle East region in terms of investor confidence, and Dubai is the main hub. Dubai’s competitive advantage stems from the fact that it is much safer compared to other Middle Eastern countries; perhaps something that is a result of its political neutrality. It is slightly less bureaucratic and has a sustained high level of investments made in road and rail infrastructure to keep up to speed with the growth in the countries’ economic development.

The global economic crisis has affected most aspects of the economy worldwide. Though FDI levels have certainly reduced due to the global recession, there are signs of recovery and indications of a more positive future, especially in the medium and long term.

Pre-crisis, the UAE economy was booming and business opportunities were limitless. The UAE’s investment climate has always been open to foreign direct investment it allows full repatriation of profits. However, according to the Dubai Economic Department’s FDI survey, despite the recession in the UAE, majority investors have not considered shifting their investments elsewhere, unless they suspect fundamental changes to the growth prospects of Dubai and the region. Respondents of the survey were C-level executives and business heads across a variety of sectors, nationalities and countries.

“I have been in Dubai for the last 8 years or so. Investing in this city has changed by business and my life,” says Kabir Mulchandani, entrepreneur and CEO of SKAI Holdings. “Despite all the challenges, I continue to invest in the real estate sector of the UAE because I believe there are clear opportunities for success.”

The 2010 AT Kearney FDI Confidence Index tracks investors’ affinity to invest in countries over the next few years. The top Middle Eastern destination according to this index is the UAE which ranks at 11. It is also the sixth highest-ranked emerging market in the world, after large growth markets such as China and India.

In addition, Dubai was recently crowed as the Middle East City of the Future 2010 / 2011 by FDI Magazine. According to newspaper Emirates 24/7, in their evaluation, Dubai scored a 100/100 for economic potential. Evaluation was on the basis of aspects such as population, GDP, total number of FDI projects, number of companies in R&D, global competitiveness, etc

According to an article in Gulf News, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the UAE is believed to have reached $13.7 billion in 2010 and FDI flow would grow from $1.5 trillion in 2010 to $1.8 trillion in 2014.

Kabir Mulchandani stated: “There are still many challenges to overcome, but with the strength of existing businesses, and the commitment to develop the UAE further, the future of Dubai and the UAE looks promising”.

Kabir Mulchandani
Dubai-UAE


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