Ghana’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio Garbrah, is scheduled to lead a global debate on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as the 6th Annual Investment Meeting begins today in Dubai.

A number of businesses, civil society organisations and policymakers from Ghana are expected to join several thousands of other interested participants from over 140 countries at arguably the world’s largest FDI and strategic networking platform.

AIM is being organised under the patronage of Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

The theme for this year’s edition of the Annual Investment Meeting is ‘The New World of FDI, Key Features and Best Practices’.

Mr. Spio Garbrah, who is billed to speak at the Meeting, is leading a team of government officials and businesses to Dubai to crusade for more FDI inflows into the country amid a World Investment Report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development that FDI inflows will rise to US$1.5trillion in 2016 and to US$1.7trillion in 2017.

He is expected to be joined on the speakers’ dais at the Meeting by Dr. Hanna Louisa Bisiw to highlight Ghana’s best as an investment-friendly environment, in a bid to draw investors’ attention to a country whose political stability and economic prospects have convinced the international community to consider it a beacon of hope in a continent ravaged by poverty and political instability.

Other businesses are also expected to exhibit a range of Made-in-Ghana goods at the Meeting to showcase the best that the country has to offer.

During the three-day event at the Dubai World Trade Centre, other Ghanaian participants will also explore opportunities for business partnerships and deals.

AIM is considered the first emerging markets FDI-focused event to offer cross-industry players a safe platform to present their projects and schedule tete a tete meetings with institutional, corporate, and private investors seeking lucrative and reliable projects.

As part of this conference, there is also a focus on new policies that are being implemented. The event will seek to identify legislation that will help stimulate the local economy through new investment opportunities. Additionally, there is a look at best practices for industry and some of the developments that are on the horizon.