"Dubai International Financial" Hosts the introductory meeting of the Future of the International Private Capital Market Conference

DUBAI, 22nd December, 2017 (WAM) – The Dubai International Financial Center and the International Private Capital Market (IPEM) Conference today announced the results of the first preliminary meeting of the Future of the International Private Capital Market Conference, an exclusive gathering in Dubai of the most influential private capital investors in the world and the region.

For the first time in the region, the Dubai International Financial Center hosted this closed meeting, which brought together senior representatives of sovereign wealth funds, global investment companies, and leading growth and investment platforms, to discuss ways in which long-term capital can contribute to shaping the next phase of innovation, flexibility, and economic transformation.

The preliminary meeting emphasized Dubai’s growing role as a preferred destination in the region for private markets, and a forum for global investors wishing to access new liquidity and investment capital.

The goal of the meeting’s agenda, which extended over a full day and included an interactive workshop, was to accelerate the pace of cooperation between the parties.

Decision makers agreed that the Gulf region, and specifically Dubai, has entered a new phase in its development as a global center for private capital, supported by strong macroeconomic foundations and a positive business environment.

The meeting highlighted the increasing interest of global investors in large-scale investment in the region, as they allocate larger shares of their investment portfolios and move their operations to regional financial centers such as the Dubai International Financial Centre.

Confidence in the institutional ecosystem and the ability to access new sources of financing and liquidity allow them to target opportunities in emerging markets and sectors, including artificial intelligence, data management, and climate innovation.

His Excellency Arif Amiri, CEO of the DIFC Authority, said that the preliminary meeting of the Future of the International Private Capital Market Conference demonstrated the confidence of global investors in the DIFC as a platform for long-term capital, as the meeting of these influential leaders in Dubai contributes to strengthening our position in the heart of the private equity markets scene that is witnessing a rapid transformation, which paves the way for deepening cooperation, especially as we prepare to host the Future of the International Private Capital Market conference next year.

The meeting also discussed the concept of “transformational capital,” which shows ways to reset private markets after a period of volatility.

This concept highlights the increasing shift towards investments that combine financial performance with long-term strategic value, especially in emerging and pioneering technologies.

These trends reflect the changing priorities of sovereign wealth funds and investment institutions in the Gulf region, which are increasingly directing their capital towards these sectors due to their long-term structural growth potential.

These results are consistent with the insights contained in the “Future of the Financial Sector” series of reports issued by the Dubai International Financial Centre, which identifies Dubai as a jurisdiction, where long-term capital and high growth opportunities reinforce each other, increasingly establishing the emirate’s position as an influential center for global private markets.

For his part, Antoine Coulson, CEO and Managing Partner of the International Private Capital Market Conference, said that this event represents a new stage in Dubai’s ambitious journey to become a leading global investment center. By bringing together senior international decision-makers and key regional partners, the International Private Capital Market Conference and the Dubai International Financial Center provide a unique space for dialogue, cooperation and long-term strategic thinking, which contributes to formulating ways to finance innovation, technology and global growth in the coming years. This event also provides an opportunity to explore how the world can mobilize capital. To meet the planet’s most pressing needs, from sustainable development to technological progress.

The meeting’s discussions will contribute to setting the agenda for the first edition of the “Dubai 2026 International Private Capital Market Conference,” scheduled to be held on May 13 and 14, 2026 during the “Dubai Future Financial Sector Week,” with the participation of an elite group of global executives to strengthen the international private markets system.

As a platform aimed at developing strategies, coordinating capital, and building global partnerships, the conference will contribute to strengthening Dubai’s position as one of the most important centers for private capital, allowing investors and managers to shape the features of the next decade of economic and technological transformation from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region.

Dave Mullen, partner at Pinegrove Venture Partners, said that scaling is a key component of how innovation reaches the mainstream, so “transformational capital” is extremely important as we think about the future of innovation.

He added: When we look at the region, Dubai’s leadership and development, and the comprehensive innovative economy, we find that the flow of capital, the focus on developing talent and innovation, and the horizontal system that allows communication and building relationships from the top of the pyramid to the bottom, are all factors that contribute to pushing technology forward.

For her part, Sonia Weimüller, co-founder and general partner at Venture Souq, said that transformational capital is based on building a mindset that contributes to creating impact and achieving financial returns simultaneously, and there is a great opportunity for transformational capital to achieve both.

She added that in addition to the distinguished location that Dubai and the Dubai International Financial Center enjoy, as a pivotal center for targeting remote areas and neighboring markets, they are seriously thinking about how to build the optimal capital structure, to attract companies from different stages of the investment value chain.

For her part, Kat Borlongan, a member of the Board of Directors of the European Innovation Council, said that ‘transformational capital’ is important, because through it, we effectively invest in the future and contribute to shaping it, rather than just betting on it.

She pointed to the compatibility in the diversity of the private capital system in Dubai, as Dubai excelled in setting a long-term vision that we seek to achieve, instead of betting on short-term gains.

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