London, UK – Against the opulent backdrop of the Reform Club in Pall Mall, over 120 leaders in trade diplomacy, economic development, and finance assembled on 2 May 2025 for an exclusive dinner marking the launch of two vital publications: Bridging Borders: Trade Promotion and Foreign Direct Investment and Global Economic Opportunities 2025. Chaired by Dr. Khalifa Saif Juma Saif Al Mehairbi, the event spotlighted how well-coordinated policies and robust stakeholder engagement serve as bulwarks against protectionism and promote resilient global value chains.

 

Framing the Agenda: Open Markets and Dialogue

 

  • The Rt Hon. Baroness Prashar CBE opened with an impassioned call for inclusive leadership, noting that sustainable investment must be paired with social-impact safeguards—ensuring that economic gains are equitably shared across communities, especially in emerging markets.

 

  • E. Sven Jurgenson took the floor to trace the evolution of global trade governance—from the League of Nations to the WTO—and to argue that modern challenges, including protectionism and geopolitical rivalries, demand renewed multilateral frameworks and continuous policy dialogue.

 

  • Al Mehairbi closed the first session by emphasizing that “the strength of our interconnected economies depends on our willingness to communicate openly, to harmonize regulations, and to invest collectively in shared infrastructure.” His remarks set the stage for a night focused on actionable strategies to streamline trade facilitation and attract long-term FDI.

 

Steering the Conversation

 

Mark Glover, serving as Master of Ceremonies, facilitated dynamic discussions that bridged theoretical insights with practical case studies. Participants shared success stories—from one-stop trade facilitation windows in Southeast Asia to blended-finance models in Africa—highlighting the benefits of public–private collaboration.

 

Recognizing Excellence

 

Dr. Al Mehairbi was honored with two prestigious awards, presented by H.E. Jurgenson:

  • Champion of International Trade, for his instrumental role in crafting cross-sector coalitions that lower trade barriers.
  • Global Best Real Estate Person of the Year, acknowledging his leadership in structuring FDI-backed sustainable infrastructure projects.

 

Launching the Reports

 

With ceremony and gravitas, Dr. Al Mehairbi unveiled:

  1. Bridging Borders, a diagnostic and strategy manual that orders best practices for EPAs and IPAs into a step-by-step playbook.
  2. Global Economic Opportunities 2025, an investor’s compendium containing 150+ curated projects valued at USD 6 billion, complete with due-diligence briefs and partnership frameworks.

 

Final Reflections and Next Steps

The Honorable David Wells, Chairman of the International Centre for Trade Transparency, closed the event by stressing that these publications are “not endpoints but starting points,” calling on attendees to integrate the recommendations into national economic plans, to foster ongoing interagency and cross-border communication, and to co-chair working groups aimed at monitoring implementation and sharing real-time progress.

 

“The path to durable growth runs through the corridors of cooperation,” Senator Wells declared. “These reports provide us the manuals; now it is our collective task to write the success stories.”