Financial Center News #26

Reflecting on a Successful #EU Financial Centers Roundtable Meeting

The Roundtable der EU-Finanzzentren und -Verbände held a meeting in Paris on December 15, 2023. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the industry leaders from EU financial centers who made this event a hub for knowledge sharing and networking.

📲 https://eufcrt.com/

#Finance #Roundtable #EUFinancialCenters #Paris

Abu Dhabi – a falcon economy that has also been named safest city in the world for six years by crowdsourced database Numbeo. What else is attracting investors to relocate their families to the emirate? Find out more at the link below.

Featured contributors: Oualid Lahsini, Brevan Howard | Arvind Ramamurthy, ACA, ADGM | Gael Hedding | Mayssa Karaa, Berklee Abu Dhabi

https://cnb.cx/49XTEcv

The Astana International Financial Centre Authority is currently reviewing the applications for the “Best Lawyer of the Year” Award. Don’t miss your opportunity!

As the first North African country to embrace the Belt and Road Initiative, Morocco proudly celebrates a decade of partnership with China, showcasing remarkable results across sectors and a resurgence of Chinese investments.

In this context, Lamia MERZOUKI, CFC’s COO, participated in the 2023 SIEF African Programme, held in the aftermath of the 3rd Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum in Beijing. SIEF African Programme is organized by the Sino-International Entrepreneurs Federation (SIEF), which is a non-profit and non-partisan organization, incorporated in Zürich and headquartered in Beijing.

This strategic collaboration not only signifies a renewed connection post-COVID but positions Morocco as a key gateway to Africa, acknowledged by the SIEF.

#ChinaAfricaPartnership #BeltandRoadInitiative #GlobalCollaboration

Whilst championing #climatefinance and #ESGs for the finance industry, we will lead by example. We are making progress on our journey, which will see the DIFC Authority have #NetZero carbon emissions by 2050, implement a responsible approach to sourcing, and publish an annual sustainability report.

#COP28

Read more: https://lnkd.in/eeyQEK9A

A delegation from the Economic Development Board Mauritius (EDB) will be among the government officials, business leaders, and high-level representatives of multilateral institutions who will convene in New Delhi from 11th to 14th December 2023, to discuss the current global challenges and opportunities posed by foreign direct investment (FDI).

“I find the theme of this year’s Conference: Empowering Investors: IPAs Pioneering Future Growth to be very befitting as it provides the right platform for IPAs and Investors to connect, discuss on pressing issues and identify new avenues for investment by the private sector while IPAs play the role of facilitating such investment projects,” states Mr Hemraj Ramnial, Chairman of EDB Mauritius.

🌐 Learn more about EDB’s participation at the 27th World Investment Conference: https://lnkd.in/gfrK_VYx

#edbmauritius #waipa #InvestmentOpportunities

We are proud to announce the publication of the second edition of our State of Enterprise Report 2023. The digitally published report is now available for download on our website for free. The design of this year’s report celebrates the fusion of art and finance, highlighting the growing position of art in global finance today.

The report shows that despite the economic, social, and political challenges witnessed in 2022, the FPS sector continued to show resilience. Notably, during the cash crunch in December 2022 and early 2023, digital transactions experienced a surge, reflected in a remarkable 41.6% increase in point-of-sale (POS) transactions and a noteworthy 36.3% rise in web-based transactions. This underscores the Banking sub-sector’s pivotal role in driving digital payments by leveraging financial technology (FinTech).

The challenges posed by the high cost of international money transfer notwithstanding, the Banking sub-sector facilitated the growth of remittances to Nigeria, which increased marginally from $19.48 billion in 2021 to $20.13 billion in 2022.

Click on the link below to download your copy: https://2ly.link/1vKZu

#FPSsector #Nigeria #EnterpriseNGR #Business #Finance #ProfessionalServices #Investment #AnnualReport

The FinanceMalta membership is open to entities operating within the financial services and legal industry and those contributing to the growth that Malta’s financial services industry is experiencing through the work of FinanceMalta.

Interested in becoming a FinanceMalta member? https://lnkd.in/e9eCV3_w

🤔 Do you have any questions regarding the membership? Send us an email at contact@financemalta.org

#FinancialServices #Membership

FinCity.Tokyo (東京国際金融機構) had the great pleasure of hearing Mark Carney’s speech highlighting Japan’s “track record of leadership on climate” at Tokyo Sustainable Finance Forum on October 6.

The former Governor of the Bank of England, who is now serving as Chair of Brookfield Asset Management, Co-Chair of Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), and UN Special Envoy for Climate Action, said that Japan’s “commitment to applying the TCFD was absolutely decisive to getting the financial world to where we are today.”

You can read more highlights from Mr Carney’s speech, in addition to recent developments in Tokyo’s growth as a transition finance hub, in the article below.

Special thanks to Keiji Hattori for making this happen and to Mr Carney for his speech.

Recap of the #Montréal delegation’s visit 💭

Representatives of the financial centers Montréal and Frankfurt met in #Frankfurt for a working visit and discussed the future of their further cooperation on the 29th of November 2023. The focus was on the topic of #SustainableFinance 🌱

The financial center initiatives Finance Montréal and Frankfurt Main Finance had already signed a joint declaration of intent in June of this year to support the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB), which has a branch in both financial centers. The Frankfurt office was one of the first stops of the delegation’s working visit and offered insights and dialogue about the ISSB’s work and the many milestones achieved to date.

For detailed information on their visit, comments, and more impressions, read our newest blog article: https://lnkd.in/e9icnX8r

We’re thrilled to witness the successful hosting of the milestone event, “Hong Kong’s Drive Towards Green and Sustainable Development and Cutting-Edge Innovations,” co-hosted by Friends of the Earth (HK) and Financial Services Development Council in the China Pavilion at COP28! 🎉

It’s the first-ever “China Pavilion” side event at COP held by representatives from Hong Kong, showcasing our global efforts in environmental protection and financial sustainability.

A special shoutout to our esteemed speakers: - Ms Salina Yan, Permanent Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury (Financial Services), HKSAR - Mr Tse Chin Wan, Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Hong Kong SAR - Mr Yip Plato, Chairperson of Friends of the Earth (HK) and Secretary General of the Treelion Foundation - Mr Daniel Fung, Vice-Chairman of the Financial Services Development Council - Dr King Au, Executive Director of the Financial Services Development Council - Dr Ma Jun, Chairman and President of Hong Kong Green Finance Association - Ms Serena Mak, Executive Director, Sustainable Finance, Institutional Banking Group, DBS Bank Hong Kong - Prof Amos Tai, Associate Professor, Earth and Environmental Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

🌱 Let’s unite and work together for a greener future!

#COP28 #Sustainability #Innovation #FSDC #FSDCHongKong

Tune in to the first of our two-part podcast miniseries on ‘ESG and Employees,’ hosted by our Sustainable Finance Lead, Tom McKenna. He was joined by David Postlethwaite, ESG Associate Director at KPMG in the Crown Dependencies, and Daniel Read, Partner and Head of Employment Jersey at Walkers.

Episode one, titled ‘ESG and Staff Retention and Attraction’, focuses on how firms are seeking ways to stay competitive to retain and attract top-quality people despite facing challenges including talent shortages, skills gaps, and changing workforce demographics.

Listen Now: https://jsy.fi/46Zu7go

At #COP28, Rwanda presented the key highlights of the national green taxonomy to the global investment community and ESG practitioners to ensure alignment with international best practices and global sustainability goals.

#GreenRwanda 🇷🇼🌿 | #InvestInRwanda

During our “Focus on 2024” livestream, Pierre Gramegna, Managing Director of the ESM - European Stability Mechanism, spoke with optimism about the ability of Europe to overcome crises, pointing out that despite a difficult year, the unemployment rate in Europe has been the lowest since the inception of the euro.

However, he underlined the need for Europe to attract more international players and up productivity.

Watch the full replay here: https://bit.ly/3t7hUIS

#livestream #LFF2024 #finance #regulation #financialservices

Celebrating our outstanding Shukran Award winners! 🎉 At #QFCMajlis2023, we joyously recognized the incredible talents within the #QFC family.

This special edition not only marked the return of our annual corporate gathering since 2020 but also served as a heartfelt tribute to the remarkable dedication of our employees. Together, we gathered under one roof to honor and appreciate the collective efforts that have brought us to new heights.

This event was not just a celebration of achievements but a testament to the unwavering spirit of the #QFCA family. Kudos to our employees and the success of the QFC’s ambitious 5-year roadmap achieved in 2022!

⚖️ Our latest report, ‘Legal excellence, globally renowned: UK legal services 2023’, shows the positive contribution legal services make to the UK economy, with revenue generated by the sector up 5.6% year on year to £43.7bn in 2022.

This shows the key role the sector plays in the UK’s financial and related professional services ecosystem, underpinning the UK’s position as a world-leading international financial center.

The report also reveals that the UK is well placed for future growth, with 43% of all #LawTech startups in Europe located in the UK.

📖 Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/eX8AwFt5

#TheCityUK #legalservices #innovation