SPEAKERS BIOS

GALA DINNER PROGRAM

BUSINESS FORUM PROGRAM

The Canada Arab Business Council hosted its 2019 Annual Gala Dinner at the Four Seasons Yorkville on April 15 and its corresponding Annual Business Forum at Rotman School of Management on April 16. The events attracted more than 250 attendees both days and an impressive roster of speakers that included the Hon. Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance; the Hon. Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business and Export Promotion; Omar Alghabra, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Hon Jean Charest, former Québec Premier and co-chair of the Canada UAE Business Council; His Worship Mayor Tory, Janet De Silva, CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade; senior business executives from Canada and the MENA region; and Arab Ambassadors serving in Canada along with Canadian diplomats posted in the Arab World.

The events highlighted Canada’s impressive commercial achievements in the region over the past 50 years and looked to even more impressive trade and investment gains in the years ahead. In particular, it focussed on commercial potential in the region for SME’s and for women and indigenous entrepreneurs. It also highlighted trade and investment potential in such key sectors as infrastructure, energy, healthcare and education and it provided an overview of the tremendous commercial potential emerging from Dubai Expo 2020, the first world expo to take place in the region that will attract over 25 million visitors and more than 180 country pavilions, including the Canadian pavilion.