Gallagher’s ‘The Future is Here’ conference: Full-on first day

Today was a first for me, and for Gallagher – our first ever industry conference in the Middle East, held here at the iconic Jumeirah Emirates Towers hotel in Dubai.

What an absolute pleasure it was for international, specialty and regional Gallagher colleagues to come together to welcome a community of clients, partners and guests to the first of two agenda-packed days. Such a wide range of industry leaders from the region and beyond carried all the ingredients for an enthusiastic and engaged day of discussion and debate – and it did not disappoint.

Our speakers shared first-rate insight, technical knowledge and important regional perspectives overlaid with global context. Whether it was ESG & sustainable financing, geopolitics, economic outlook, cyber security, business resilience, we heard from economists, leading academics, industry specialists and top legal minds on the hottest of topics to inform and inspire us.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a deeper dive into specific risk areas of financial lines, energy power & renewables, marine and aerospace in what promises to be another equally engaging day.

Naming our conference, ‘The Future is Here’, really encapsulates the focus of the event – reflecting not only the fast-moving pace of the risks facing firms operating in the region, but also the enabling power of insurance solutions to help them overcome those challenges and continue growing in a rapidly expanding economy.

Gallagher’s on the ground presence in the Middle East may be relatively recent, but today provided us with an opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the region. I am incredibly proud of what the team has built here, and how we are actively supporting clients in their own growth journeys.

Although not immune to the global economic challenges we are seeing elsewhere, booming levels of overseas and local investment in the region in recent years have resulted in a heightened level of positivity around growth and opportunity for firms trading here.

So what really struck me, over the course of today, is the sense of economic optimism and confidence which is fuelling the Middle East’s increasing importance and influence on the global stage. Gallagher is thrilled to be part of that story.