Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza) said it will jointly host an interactive seminar with Nasdaq Dubai for its companies to share ways in which they can raise capital to fund their expansion, including through a listing on the region’s international exchange.

The seminar, which is a first-of-its-kind, will be held in Dubai on September 28. It has been developed in collaboration with Jafza, Nasdaq Dubai and leading financial experts to support Jafza companies.

Nasdaq Dubai CEO Jeff Singer will give a presentation to senior company executives highlighting the different options for capital raising, as well as the advantages of carrying out an initial public offering (IPO) and how to prepare for listing.

He will be joined by a panel of experts from auditing and financial advisory firm Ernst & Young, international  law firm Latham & Watkins, investment bank Shuaa Capital and private equity firm Riyada Enterprise Development, a member of the Abraaj Group, who will discuss and answer questions from attendees on the opportunities and challenges of various ways of raising  capital.

The panel session will provide Jafza companies with an exclusive opportunity to hear from these leading organisations, all under one roof.

The seminar is part of an outreach programme to Jafza companies that follows a MoU signed in April by Salma Hareb, CEO of Economic Zones World, the parent company of Jafza and Singer on behalf of Nasdaq Dubai.

"We are continuing our strategy, as business enablers, to further enhance our trade and finance ecosystem capabilities," said Hareb.

Expressing delight at co-hosting the seminar, Hareb said, "The panel of experts at the seminar will share market practices and propose tailored solutions for the companies at the workshop and the Jafza community at large."

"We are strongly committed to customer-oriented solutions that are designed to support businesses in the free zone that drive the growth of Jafza, Dubai and the UAE," she added.

The programme focuses on providing financing opportunities for companies based in the free zone, said the Economic Zones World chief.

Singer said, “I am looking forward to meeting some of the Middle East’s most successful enterprises at the seminar to hear their views on how they wish to raise capital and explain the advantages and requirements of listing as one potential option."-TradeArabia News Service