The ABLF TALKS LIVE, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh NahayanMabarak Al Nahayan, Cabinet Member and Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, UAE, concluded the Second Conclave of the 12-part virtual event series on November 5, 2020, at the ABLF City, the permanent virtual venue of the Asian Business Leadership Forum. Designed to bring the world to the UAE virtually, the ABLF City hosted international leaders to talk about globalisation in the wake of the pandemic and the resulting challenges that the world is facing.

“I strongly believe in the power of tolerance and human engagement to shape the future and to help solve many of the world’s great global challenges. Together we will continue to meet the challenges of our times with a spirit of creativity and optimism as we seek to recover, rebuild and rise.” - H.H. Sheikh NahayanMabarak Al Nahayan

The Second Conclave of the ABLF TALKS LIVE convened expert panelists from across the continent and spotlighted the reversal of globalisation as an aftermath of the pandemic and the ways governments, businesses and organisations can help reinstate balance between self-reliance and multilateral cooperation. The leaders discussed the potential metamorphosis of globalisation from the pre-pandemic world to the post-pandemic era and the challenges posed by economic nationalism. Solutions to globalisation ranged from reinforcement through cross-border e-commerce opportunities, off-shoring services and the use of technology to accelerate the long-term movement towards a more interconnected world.

Since 2007, the Asian Business Leadership Forum has hosted global leaders in the UAE,  showcasing the country as a progressive economic hub with the aim to celebrate the nation’s unique and strategic location to be the ‘global business hub’ of the world, with an exemplary narrative as a powerful agent of peace and tolerance.

The ABLF TALKS LIVE Virtual Conclaves comprise plenaries, interactive knowledge-sharing models, roundtables, high-level networking, workshops, and masterclasses, featuring world-renowned policymakers, economists, thinkers, and industry leaders in engaging conversations of consequence.

The Virtual Conclave held on November 5, 2020, commenced with a Keynote Address from the ABLF Patron, H.H. Sheikh NahayanMabarak Al Nahayan. The sessions started with a Fireside Conversation with H.E. Najeeb Mohammed Al-Ali, Executive Director, Expo 2020 Dubai Commissioner General Office, on the subject, ‘Rethinking Globalisation. The New Future’, who discussed the opportunities that the Expo 2020 presents as it brings countries together in a spirit of hope and collaboration for a better future in the midst of the pandemic.

"Humans survive by coming together. Sooner or later we will get over the COVID-19 pandemic and come back to normal ways of living. Hopefully, the Expo 2020 will be a great launching pad for so many businesses, countries and individuals who come together in 2021 to take us to the next level.” - H.E. Najeeb Al-Ali

Following was the session, ‘The UN SDGs: A Greater Urgency with Higher Stakes’, which was a Fireside Conversation with H.E. Mariam AlMheiri, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, UAE, on the national and international efforts and initiatives that the UAE Government implements in order to bolster the country’s food and water security, which is one of the UAE’s top priorities for the post-COVID-19 phase.

“The UN SDGs are interlinked with each other. When one is affected, the others are pulled back too. Therefore, a holistic approach must be taken. It is important to focus and unify. Unity can help us build back better.” - H.E. Mariam AlMheiri

The next session featured Suhel Seth, Managing Partner, Counselage India, and Diana Hamade, Founder and Managing Partner, Diana Hamade Attorneys at Law, in an engaging Fireside Conversation on strengthening globalisation in Asian countries and striking a balance between self-reliance and multilateral cooperation in these unprecedented times.

“Human nature is built on the nature of resilience and the aspiration to achieve; these will save us from failing as a world and as individual economies.”- Suhel Seth

“In terms of globalisation, we use three terms - foreign investments, trade and migration. Luckily, the UAE, despite diversification, is an emerging hub for international trade with over 37 free trade zones and additional zones being created.” - Diana Hamade

In the session focusing on the UN SDGs, DrSoumyaSwaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization, talked about the emergence of a vaccine against COVID-19 and the mechanism that WHO recommends for the implementation of the vaccine to ensure rapid and equitable access worldwide.

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