Today the Who’s Who of finance, investment, corporate law, intelligence and economics will descend upon Miami for the OffshoreAlert Conference, an event organizers describe as a gathering where “the good guys, the bad guys, the seriously guilty” congregate to network, share ideas and information, and learn to “operate more effectively in the world of high-value international finance.”
Detained in Dubai founder and CEO Radha Stirling will be addressing the conference on Monday in a session about the risks of doing business in the UAE and gulf region. “Foreign Direct Investment in the UAE has been rising steadily since the global financial crisis, and stands today at well over $10 billion, with expectations that this will grow by perhaps 20% over the coming years,” Stirling said. “But many investors are unaware of the serious risks they are exposed to in the Emirates, where their capital is often regarded as disposable income for local business partners. It can be even more dangerous to have a successful company in the UAE than a struggling one, as we have seen many prosperous individuals targeted by Emiratis in extortive criminal cases to seize their assets. While the UAE has facilitated foreign investment, they have not created a safe environment for investors, and Westerners can very quickly discover that what they thought was an oasis in the desert is in fact quicksand.”
With some 275 delegates, and attendees with expertise in fraud investigation, asset recovery, commercial litigation, banking, and international media; 40 speakers from a broad spectrum of specializations including law enforcement, wealth management, government, and journalism; and with tickets selling for around $2,000 each; the Offshore Alerts Conference is one of the most anticipated business events in the calendar year.
“I am very pleased to be addressing this conference,” Stirling said, “A huge percentage of our work focuses on the legal abuse, fraud, breach of trust, and outright extortion and robbery suffered by foreign businesspeople and investors in the UAE. Incidences of wrongful prosecution have been increasing at pace with the growing inflows of FDI in the country, largely because investors have not been adequately apprised of the risks. The criteria used by most investment risk assessments do not include things like cultural gaps that can lead to dangerous animosities, nor the prevalence of false accusations, the fabrication of evidence, forced confessions and torture in the legal system. Without direct case knowledge of investors and professionals who have been threatened, jailed, or put on Interpol, traditional investment advisories cannot accurately gauge the risks investors face.”
The three day conference opens today at the luxurious Miami Beach EDITION hotel with a meet and greet event, and will get into full swing on Monday. 23 sessions are scheduled, on 3 stages, with participants from over 30 countries.