MENA SUPPLY CHAIN FINANCE

5 – 6 November 2024
The Westin, Dubai

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Agenda

Day One – 5 November 2024

08:00 – 09:00 Coffee and Registration

09:00 – 09:10 Opening of main conference and welcome from event partners ITFA and BCR’s
Managing Director Michael Bickers

09:10 – 09:20 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

Farrukh Siddiqui, Founding Partner, Emerging Capital Management Partners

09:20 – 09:30 Opening Keynote Address

Jamal Saleh, Director General, UAE Banking Federation

09:30 – 09:40 Welcome Remarks

Ahmad Lootah, Chairman, ICC UAE Commission on Banking, CEO & Managing Director,
Al Hilal Capital Financial Services

09:40 – 10:20 Keynote Presentation: The changing nature of trade: Global dynamics and new risks
US recession fears are unfounded, but global growth to remain sub 3%. US growth will continue to ease back
towards trend, while China faces a structural slowdown. Ongoing reform efforts have elevated non-energy
sectors as the main drivers of GCC economic expansion. Oxford Economics’ projections show a robust growth
trajectory into next year, while inflation remains low. Geopolitical factors – Israel-Gaza/Iran, China-Taiwan
and possible President Trump 2.0 – are the main risks to the outlook. This presentation will dig deep into
geopolitical and economic development, and how these will impact an evolving trade and supply chain finance
environment.

Scott Livermore, Chief Economist, Oxford Economics, Middle East

10:20 – 11:20 Panel Discussion: Unlocking liquidity through supply chain finance in challenging
times
With borrowing costs still above recent levels and improved supply chains now coming under new pressures
as geopolitical tensions increase across the globe, this panel discusses how treasury professionals are
dynamically managing their working capital through SCF and factoring solutions.
• The importance of addressing operational working capital alongside financial working capital
• Supporting transition projects to deliver net zero and sustainability objectives
• Deploying supply chain finance solutions in a complex and ever-changing environment
• How to manage the huge increase in input costs and suppliers in a disruptive environment e.g. Just in Case
approaches
• Advances in technological integration – the need for large corporates to participate in this agenda along with
banks and fintech

Moderator:
Irwin Medford, Director, Treasury Advisory, PwC Middle East
Panellists:
Navin Bangera, Assistant Vice President, Finance, EPIC Group
Deepak Gujral, Head of Solutions and Advisory – Transaction Banking, Emirates NBD
Bharat Gupta, Senior Vice President, Head of Trade and Structured Finance, Asia and EMEA, Olam Agri
Alisagar Rangwala, Senior Manager, Group Treasury and Credit Risk, Ducab

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Agenda

11:20 – 11:50 Networking Coffee break

11:50 – 12:35 Panel Discussion: Sustainable Finance – how plans are progressing in the GCC
Sustainable finance is a key part of the economic development plans of many GCC states, and this panel will
examine how corporates in the region are focusing on promoting sustainable investments, supporting green
projects, and encouraging sustainable financial institutions, the progress in these key areas and their impact
on trade finance and SCF product development. The panellists will illustrate the following key points:
• What does sustainability look like for their businesses?
• How do they see their clients behave?
• What metrics do they use to show sustainability in their products?
• How they try to walk the talk on sustainability
• What are they doing to build on initiatives from COP28?

Moderator:
Fatenah El Danab, Head of Trade and Working Capital, Middle East, Barclays
Panellists:
Shabbir Ahmad, Head of Treasury, Landmark Retail
Pratap Kumar, Group Regional Treasurer EMEA, RGE
Hamsika Gopolan, General Manager, Corporate & Trade Finance, Rescom Holdings

12:35 – 12:45 The need for digitalisation

Claudia Perri, Sales Director, CODIX Group

12:45 – 13:45 Networking Lunch

13:45 – 14:30 Panel Discussion: Ensuring SCF solutions help balance cash, funding and objectives
Corporate treasurers in the MENA region are taking a leading role to help channel capital along with policies,
procedures and processes to support business and supply chain resilience, digital transformation and ESG
impact. This panel will examine the strategies you need to employ to realise the opportunities and address the
challenges for treasurers as the region moves away from fossil fuels towards net zero.
• How do ESG and sustainability in SCF impact risk management, resilience, and long-term value creation?
• Addressing the challenges of ESG data reporting and scaling including environmental audits
• Dealing with the risk of fraud
• Realising benefits such as assigning individualised pricing per supplier

Moderator:
Maninder Bhandari, Director, Derby Group
Panellists:
Nader Aboushadi, Group Chief Treasurer, Sidara, Director, Dar Ventures
Gianluca Elmosi, Group Treasury Director, Al Dahra Holding
Fernanda De Genaro CFA, Director, Treasury Advisory, Zanders
Salman Sharif, Executive Director, Head of Trade Sales, UAE, Standard Chartered Bank

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Agenda

14:30-15:15 Panel Discussion: Optimising supply chain financing using tokenisation

In this session, industry leaders will explore the growing needs of optimizing Working Capital via supply chain
finance innovative strategies, with a particular focus on tokenization and its potential to enhance efficiency,
transparency, and risk mitigation. The discussion will cover key trends and challenges in the global market
especially around digitizing Supply Chain Finance, the intersection of Islamic finance with supply chain
solutions, and how digital platforms are currently reshaping financial ecosystems to unlock greater value for
businesses worldwide.
• Reverse factoring, invoice and inventory financing opportunities
• Can tokenisation contribute to better credit risk assessment and management?
• How tokenisation can expand the investable set of assets beyond traditional securitisation, particularly for trade
assets like working capital loans and import/export financing

Moderator:
Amr El Haddad, Head of Transaction Banking, National Bank of Kuwait – UAE, Board Member, Middle East
Regional Committee, ITFA
Panellists:
Hesham Moustafa, Managing Director, H.M for Treasury Consultancy DWC-LLC
Amer Chebaro, Partner & Vice President, Midis Group
K. Nizardeen, CEO, Credit Investment Bank UAE: Vice Chair, Banking Commission, ICC UAE; Council Member,
LIBA (Investment Banks), Malaysia

15:15 – 15:45 Networking Coffee Break

15:45 – 16:30 Panel Discussion: Islamic finance and SCF opportunities and challenges
Islamic finance, governed by Shar’ia law, prohibits the charging of interest and emphasises risk-sharing, asset-
backed transactions, and ethical investments. This panel will update on the latest SCF programmes using this
framework and how the regulatory, legal and technological challenges are being met to realise its benefits.
• The unique aspects of Islamic finance, especially Islamic Factoring and Supply Chain Finance
• Progress on adapting existing technologies and workflows to meet Shar’ia law requirements
• How corporates are using Islamic finance SCF programmes to manage risk and deliver ESG objectives

Moderator:
K. Nizardeen, CEO, Credit Investment Bank UAE: Vice Chair, Banking Commission, ICC UAE; Council Member,
LIBA (Investment Banks), Malaysia
Panellists:
Ehsaan Ahmed, Executive Vice President, Head of Transaction Banking, Rakbank
Ahsan Ali, Managing Director, Head, Islamic Corporate and Investment Banking, Standard Chartered Bank
Abdelrahman El-Beltagi, Islamic Factoring Expert, efcom
Dilip Kumar Shadvani, Director, Treasury, Al Habtoor Motors Company

16:30 – 16:35 Comfort Break

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Agenda

16:35 – 17:05 Sunday stroll or Tour de Pologne? A receivables finance software implementation
case study for mFaktoring (Commerzbank Group)
The presentation illustrates the implementation of a high-performance Comarch Factoring/SCF Platform
unfolding through carefully orchestrated stages, from selecting a software provider to navigating contract
negotiations and Agile development. Gain insights into tackling technical challenges, managing data migration,
and optimising customer feedback, providing a comprehensive overview of the entire process.

Karol Leszczyński, Factoring Product Development Manager, Comarch SA

17:05 – 17:55 Panel Discussion: Fostering strategic collaborations between fintechs and banks to
drive growth in the MENA region
This session will bring together banks and fintechs to examine the current nature of their collaborations in
the MENA region and if that dynamic has changed as SCF programmes become more mature. It will explore if
strategic partnerships are delivering a seamless experience across multiple channels for clients and what the
challenges are to delivering what their corporate customers need.
• How has the rise of fintechs reshaped the landscape of SCF programmes in the MENA region, and what
innovative solutions have emerged as a result of this transformation?
• What collaborative models and partnerships have evolved and how do these partnerships benefit participants in
the supply chain?
• How are data-sharing and data-driven insights fostering collaborative approaches in SCF?
• What advantages do these approaches offer in terms of risk management, decision-making, and access to
financing?
• The role of smart contracts in enabling automated collaboration and streamlined transaction processes in SCF
• How are partnerships navigating the challenges of regulatory considerations?

Moderator:
Vincent O’Brien, Director, ICC UAE; Member Executive Committee, ICC Banking Commission
Panellists:
Syed Imtiaz Hussain, Regional Head of Product & Propositions-Middle East, North Africa & Turkey, GTRF, HSBC
Bank Middle East
Vikram Lodha, Co-Founder and CEO, 360tf
Latif Sheik, Business Development Director, Middle East, Comarch Middle East
Sumit Roy, President and Chief Marketing Officer, Fintech Innovations International

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Agenda

17:55 – 18:00 Chairperson’s Closing Remarks

18:00 – 19:30 Drinks Reception sponsored by China Systems

16:30 – 18:00 Corporate Treasurers’ Forum

Achieving off balance sheet financing through innovative SCF programmes

Inflation, geopolitical risk and high interest rates are making free cash and supply chain resiliency highly
challenging. Corporate treasurers are now seeking innovation to optimise working capital and support
their businesses in this challenging environment. Join us as we delve into the trends we are seeing in
today’s volatile landscape, the shifting priorities of corporates, the strategies they can implement to
optimise working capital and how to leverage the dynamic capabilities of supply chain finance solutions.

This invitation-only round table forum for corporate treasurers will delve deep into how supply chain
finance (SCF) and factoring programmes can operate as part of a working capital strategy, ensuring off
balance sheet financing, how to structure an effective programme and innovative structures.

Whether your business is already using or considering using SCF and /or factoring, this is your chance to
get the inside track on how the most effective programmes are structured and deliver on working capital
needs.

Moderator:
Maninder Bhandari, Director, Derby Group
Guests:
Halina Bernard, Senior Finance Manager, Strategic Markets, Alliances and Distributors (SMAD) and CFO SEA & S
Asia, GM Motors
Alisagar Rangwala, Senior Manager, Group Treasury and Credit Risk, Ducab
Shabbir Ahmad, Head of Treasury, Landmark Retail
Bharat Gupta, Senior Vice President, Head of Trade and Structured Finance, Asia and EMEA, Olam Agri
Girish Gandotra, CEO, Nissan Middle East Saudi Arabia and Infiniti Middle East
Shiva Rama Krishna, Deputy General Manager – Treasury, Nissan Middle East FZE
Maysam Kanani Amiri, Treasury & Corporate Finance, Siemens Energy
Imran Saeed, Head of Finance – Project Execution, Siemens Energy
Feras Abomazen, Senior Treasury Manager, GulfDrug LLC
Yousef Rawas, Customer Empowerment Division Manager, Saudi Industrial Development Fund
Bhavesh Sorathia, Senior Manager – Treasury, Aditya Birla Global Trading
Atheeqe Ansari, CEO, Electricway

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 Day Two – 6 November 2024

08:30 – 09:30 Coffee and Registration

09:30 – 09:45 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

Rasheed Hinnawi, Regional Head of Portfolio Management & Distribution, Trade and Receivables Finance MENAT,
HSBC; Chair, ITFA Middle East Regional Committee (MERC)

09:45 – 10:15 Case Study: How innovative technologies are shaping supply chain finance
Emerging technologies like AI, blockchain, and Big Data are playing a pivotal role when it comes to SCF,
enabling real-time processing, improved visibility, and reducing human error. The digitalisation of SCF is about
increasing transaction speed, enhancing accuracy, and fostering a seamless trading environment. But how can
innovative technology support SCF within complex supply chains? The session will explore how technology is
not only shaping SCF but is also fostering more resilience in the long-term.

Hans Moerman, CFO, DP World Digital

10:15 – 11:00 Panel Discussion: Digital Transformation – from narrative to action

As the MENA region positions itself at the heart of global trade, there is an accelerated effort to digitise trade
finance, creating more opportunities and providing resiliency to industries that would otherwise be impacted
by supply chain disruptions. Additionally, transparency and improved efficiency across operations, including
across supply chains, are important goals. This panel will focus on the progress in adopting new technologies
like digital identities and in meeting regulatory and legal challenges in the region.
• The impact of the new Digital Assets Law enacted by the DIFC
• Progress on MLETR in the region: The world’s first cross-border POC digital trade financing transaction
• Delivering the MLETR ecosystem - Trusted Digital Identities

Moderator:
Simon Cook, Partner, Sullivan & Worcester UK
Panellists:
Saloi Benbaha, Head of Enterprise Alliance and Ventures, XDC Network, Head of Institutional Partnerships and
Working Group Committee, TradefinexDP
Sean Edwards, Managing Director, Head of Legal - EMEA, Planning Department, Legal Group EMEA, SMBC
International, Chairman, ITFA
Huny Garg, Executive Director and Country Head, KSA and Bahrain, SWIFT
Sarah Mikhail, Trade and Working Capital Product Lead, Middle East and Africa, J.P. Morgan, Board Member, ITFA
Middle East Regional Committee (MERC)

11:00 – 11:30 Networking Coffee Break

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11:30 – 12:15 Panel Discussion: Using cross border SCF solutions to develop Saudi Arabian
markets
This panel will look at the drive to revolutionise supply chain finance programmes in Saudi Arabia, aligning
with national transformation goals while addressing key challenges of supplying working capital to drive
economic growth. It will specifically look at how to unlock growth in the Saudi kingdom through the use of
cross border supply chain finance programmes and technology innovations.
• Addressing scalability issues, operational complexities and potential security risks
• The potential of embedded finance to unlock new opportunities and revolutionise SCF
• Tackling regulatory and legal challenges to accessing markets in Saudi Arabia

Moderator:
Rafiq Jaffer, Partner, Al Tamimi & Company
Panellist:
Syed Hassan Javed, Group Head of GTB Sales, Gulf International Bank

12:15 – 12:45 Fireside Chat: Legal and regulatory updates in the MENA region
This session will deep dive into the regulatory and legal changes in the region and their impact on the SCF
markets.
• Progress on sustainable finance regulations and guidance
• The impact of the Factoring Law (Federal Decree Law No. 16) of 2021, three years on
• How legal infrastructures are being adapted to new technological capabilities

Robert Parson, Partner, Squire Patton Boggs

Nicholas Robinson, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright (Middle East) LLP

12:45 – 13:45 Panel Discussion: Navigating dynamic environments for SCF through credit risk
management
This session will examine the solutions that can be deployed to manage credit risk in supply chain finance, as
ever-changing geopolitical, economic, legal and regulatory conditions impact businesses and present major
challenges to lenders.
• Technology solutions which support lending in changing environments
• The use of credit insurance supported by the right monitoring tools as a risk mitigant
• Building investor confidence through compliance monitoring
• Pragmatic approaches to inventory financing as insolvencies rise

Moderator:
Mark Mandula, Senior Vice President, United Capital Funding; Senior Learning Officer, BCR Publishing
Panellists:
Zena Brake, CFA, Credit Director, Allianz Trade Middle East
Anurag Chaudhary, CEO, Pinnacle Trade Finance
Niraj Kumar, Head of Global Transaction Banking, United Arab Bank
Venki Ramasubhramoni, Head of Trade Sales, Equipment and Technology Finance, Wholesale Banking Group,
National Bank of Fujairah
Mounir Saridar, Lenders Solutions Group Leader MENA, Marsh Emirates Insurance Brokerage

13:45 – 14:00 Chairperson’s Closing Remarks

14:00 – 15:00 Networking Lunch and Close of Conference

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Registration

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