Under the patronage of HE Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, UAE Ministry of Economy, Global Trade Development Week 2014 will be an unprecedented gathering of business and government leaders from over 80 countries. Global Trade Development Week is the worlds largest trade facilitation, development, investment & customs programme of events.

In partnership with Dubai Customs this years event will see the launch of a new summit especially dedicated to customs & trade facilitation issues, Global Customs and Trade Facilitation. Global Trade Development Week will be held in Emirates Towers, Dubai from 27th till 29th October 2014.

UAE Minister for Economy, H.E. Al Mansouri says, The UAE looks forward to hosting a full programme of events that tackle today's most challenging trade and development issues. The UAE is honored with the presence of such high-level individuals who are experts in their fields.
The Global Customs and Trade Facilitation summit is organised in partnership with Dubai Customs. H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director of Dubai Customs states, An impressive list of leaders from government, customs administrations and the private sector are joining us in Dubai for this essential event. The importance of international cooperation in an area such as ours can never be underestimated. Global Trade Development Week is especially important as it gives us the opportunity to strengthen our relationships across borders and reduce barriers to trade.

H.E. Ahmed Mahboob notes that the newly launched Global Customs and Trade Facilitation summit as part of the Global Trade Development Week will focus on the role of customs in enhancing international competitiveness and finding the right balance between effective control measures and facilitation of trade. Through this mega event, Dubai Customs seeks to actively contribute to worldwide efforts aimed at supporting legitimate trade and safeguarding the security of societies, as well as to further leverage Dubais global footprint as the Middle Easts leading trading hub.
Global Trade Development Week EMEA brings together over 600 high-level delegates from the areas of trade, development, economic zones, trade finance, industrial development, real estate, global customs and trade facilitation; with representatives from across Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East.

The interactive two day Customs and Trade Facilitation summit will be opened by H.E. Ahmed Mahboob Musabih, Director, Dubai Customs and addressed by a series of prestigious speakers including the following:

CONFIRMED PANELISTS
H.E. AHMED MAHBOOB MUSABIH, Director, DUBAI CUSTOMS, UAE
ALINE PLANON, Medical Product Counterfeiting and Pharmaceutical Crime Sub-Director, INTERPOL
DR. ASHRAF ALI MAHATE, Head of Export Market Intelligence, DUBAI EXPORTS, UAE
CHARLES BARBER, Director of Trade Compliance, KUEHNE + NAGEL
DAVID PHILLIPS, Vice President, INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF FREIGHT FORWARDERS ASSOCIATIONS (FIATA), UAE
DR. HERBERT OBERHAENSLI, Vice President Economics & International Relations, NESTL SA
JAMES LOCKETT, Vice President, Head of Trade Facilitation and Market Access, HUAWEI
PROFESSOR DAVID WIDDOWSON, President, INTERNATIONAL NETWORK OF CUSTOMS UNIVERSITIES (INCU)

JOEL WATERMAN, Regional Director, Business Analytics Division, Middle East, Pakistan, Turkey & Africa, IBM
KEITH STRONACH, Head of Export Control Compliance, BAE SYSTEMS, SAUDI ARABIA
KENNETH BAGAMUHUNDA, Director Customs, EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY (EAC)
DR. LUCIAN CERNAT, Chief Trade Economist, EUROPEAN COMMISSION
MAHMOOD AL BASTAKI, Chief Executive Officer, DUBAI TRADE, UAE
MINNA HERRANEN, Head of Trade Management, MEA & India, GOPS, Global Trade Management, NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS
MOHAMMAD EHTESHAMUL HOQUE, International Customs Advisor (Governance), UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR PROJECT SERVICES (UNOPS)
PETER J.M. BULTERS, Senior Director, Global Trade Compliance, LIVINGSTON INTERNATIONAL
RENATO ANTONINI, Partner, JONES DAY
SAMER SHOUKRY, International Trade Compliance Leader - MEA & Turkey, HONEYWELL
SHISHIR PRIYADARSHI, Director- Development Division , WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION (WTO)
SYED HABIB AHMED, Acting General Manager, Trade Cooperation & Promotion Program (TCPP), INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC TRADE FINANCE CORPORATION (ITFC)

For full details of the programmes, exhibition, workshops, site tours & networking receptions please visit the event website www.kwglobaltrade.com
For further information and for media accreditation to attend the event, please contact the PR Manager, Nana Mancell, Email: nanam@kwconfex.com Tel: +971 50 956 9277.