Executives from leading U.S. and U.A.E. businesses strategized how to overcome cash flow issues and other challenges during a special webinar co-hosted by Standard Chartered Bank and the U.S.-U.A.E Business Council. This webinar is part of the Business Council’s videoconference series titled, “Looking Ahead: Conversations with U.S. and U.A.E. Business and Government Leaders.”

Rola Abu Manneh, U.A.E. CEO for Standard Chartered Bank, and Danny Sebright, President of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council, welcomed attendees and spoke about the shared challenges that companies are currently facing as a result of plummeting oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Four experts then spoke briefly about multinational business trends globally and in the Middle East as well as current responses to the ongoing liquidity challenges caused by COVID-19. These experts included Saif Malik, Global Head – Global Subsidiaries at Standard Chartered; Viplav Rathore, Head of Cash U.A.E. and MENA at Standard Chartered; Princy Royce, Treasury Manager Middle East & Africa at National Oilwell Varco; and Vishal Verma, Executive – Cash Management & Treasury Services Middle East & Africa at GE Capital. 

Shada El Borno, Regional Head of Global Subsidiaries MENAP at Standard Chartered, subsequently moderated a robust discussion about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on business, industries, and markets from a liquidity and cash-management perspective. They also discussed challenges related to supply chain management and digital adoption, secure connectivity, and fraud control. The panel also took questions from the audience, which consisted of over 60 senior executives from leading American and Emirati companies.

During the Covid-19 crisis, the Business Council launched a webinar series titled, “Looking Ahead: Conversations with U.S. and U.A.E. Business and Government Leaders.” U.A.E. Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba and U.S. Ambassador John Rakolta Jr. launched this series with separate discussions surrounding the economic impacts of Covid-19. The Council subsequently conducted events with H.E. Waleed Al Muhairi from Mubadala Investment Company, Sir Tim Clark and Mr. Tony Douglas from Emirates and Etihad, and a panel of healthcare technology leaders. For more information about upcoming events in this series, including webinars with the U.A.E. Minister of Economy and U.A.E. Minister of State for Food Security, please contact the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council’s head of communications Mary Zuccarello at mzuccarello@usuaebusiness.org.