The impact of ‘West-East corridor’, which defines the growing economies that span from West Africa to East Asia, on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the GCC will be analysed at an upcoming event in Dubai, UAE.

SME Beyond Borders - Global Models for Success will be held on November 30 and December 1 at Madinat Arena.

Hosted by National Bank of Abu Dhabi (NBAD), and supported by the Dubai Economic Council, the event is set to be the biggest, best SME conference of 2014, a statement said.

SME Beyond Borders will give powerful answers to questions such as whether SMEs in the GCC are forever locked in a regional competition, or can they break free to be on a level playing field with the businesses of the West.

A cluster of the world’s leading economists and experts on the SME space are expected to attend the event.

The West-East corridor is a term coined by NBAD to illustrate the powerful economic superhighway defining key areas of the emerging world that span from West Africa to East Asia. The ‘Corridor’ includes increasingly important economies in Mena, the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and greater China. This region represents vast potential with unlimited resources, growing economic activities, and an emerging middle class.

Featuring a keynote welcome from Hani R Al Hamli, secretary general of the Dubai Economic Council, SME Beyond Borders will feature world-class leaders in the field.

The programme is set to deliver practical, workable answers for SME owners and directors on how the region’s SMEs can gear-up to compete with businesses from the US, Singapore and Western Europe.

This is the first time that a local conference has addressed how SMEs can bridge the gap and start competing with the added-value accrued from all-important factors such as Corporate Governance, Risk Management and the Quality agenda.

Delegates will also benefit from the Moody’s Banking Masterclass – a unique role play giving SMEs first-hand knowledge of ‘how to help your bank help you’. – TradeArabia News Service