The Annual Investment Meeting 2011 held in Dubai in May 2011.

Prospective investors and the decision makers from existing and emerging markets were invited to invest in Belize at the Annual Investment Meeting 2011 held in Dubai last week.

Minister of Economic Development Commerce and Consumer Protection, Hon. Erwin Contreras, led the Belize delegation and presented an overview of investment policies and opportunities to Belize, garnering great interest from major players who looked at Belize as a prime location for investment. He also highlighted the multiple opportunities for investment in Belize, emphasizing Belize’s move to develop a long-term sustainable plan for economic development.

He said “Our government, in the last three years has taken great strides in creating an attractive investment climate. Through prudent fiscal management, our country rating has been boosted to ‘’A’’ minus, and despite the global crisis, we have shown consistent economic growth.”

Minister Contreras invited his audience to look at Belize “as a place to invest in a bright future and to join us in creating what will be the ideal sustainable model for a functional balance between high returns and responsible development.”

The Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, hosted the meeting, which featured key government ministers from countries in the Middle East, Far East, Africa and Europe, and major investors from the region and abroad.

The Dubai-based investment group, Equity Capital Group, has expressed strong interest in investing in Belize, and Mr. Adam Doost of the Group joined the United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Trade in hosting the Belize delegation in Dubai.

It was the first time an event like AIM 2011 had been held in the Middle East. This visionary new approach has a long term objective to catalyze the process of global economic recovery by building investors’ confidence; and to ensure a more dynamic flow of funds between potential investors, and prospective investment opportunities and destinations.

Belize was further highlighted at the Dubai’s Expo Center at the AIM Exposition, where Equity Capital Group presented Belize as an emerging destination for investment. Hundreds of potential investors were able to view videos and images of Belize and to discuss the opportunities and benefits of investing in Belize with Minister Contreras, BELTRAIDE executive chairman Michael Singh and businessman Erik Tobar of Tobar Construction who had accompanied the minister.

The group also met with key executives of various large investment groups and sovereign development funds, including, the IFC, and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, all of whom expressed interest in investment projects in Belize and have commenced plans to visit Belize in the near future.