Over the years the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) has demonstrated a pioneering approach and remarkable success on a global scene in a journey to engage private sector to deliver multi-billion USD programme of flagship power and water sector projects, while incorporating innovation and sustainability as an essential part of its vision and at the heart of its business strategy.

In this keynote address, the conference attendees will be honored to welcome His Excellency Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority who will talk about engaging private sector in deliver of Dubai’s ambitious development vision.

PPPs provide immense opportunities to advance economic development of countries in the MENA region, however they are complex structures that require a thorough understanding and commitment from both public and private sector to ensure successful implementation.

This panel will engage representatives from developers, investors and lenders community to discuss critical factors for advancing MENA region’s development journey:

• How excited are each of the developer, investor, lender and contractor community, with the current PPP landscape across MENA?
• Historically, the region has been dominated by Power & Utilities, now we are seeing a spate of Transport and Social Infrastructure projects. Will this continue?
• What is investors’ perspective on MENA PPP infrastructure pipeline and competitiveness of the forthcoming regional opportunities as compared with other markets?
• What are the common challenges and risks for institutional investors in their MENA PPP market entry strategies and when participating in initial projects?
• How robust are the regional PPP frameworks? Do we see standout examples?
• What would the investor and developer community like to see as a major development over the next 5 years?   What changes are desired?

The MENA region is at the cusp of a major transformation; Governments are keen to deliver large infrastructure projects in partnership with the private sector, rather than simply deliver these in the traditional way. This has led to PPP units being set up in most jurisdictions, Governments are changing the way these large infrastructure projects are planned and delivered, the very nature of some Government ministries is changing, and there are significant expectations from the PPP Units.

This panel will explore how the regional PPP Units have established themselves, and what is their ambition. This discussion will focus on the following questions targeted at the Heads of regional PPP Units:

• What is the stated goal and ambition of each PPP Unit?
• Building public sector PPP capacity and expertise is a long-term process, how can this be facilitated and expedited in short and medium term?
• How important is it to develop a pipeline of feasible PPP projects to attract and maintain investors’ interest?
• What is the outreach to the private sector?
• What measures are Governments taking to support and incentives to improve bankability of the PPP project?  

His Excellency Abdulrahman Saleh Al Saleh, the Director General of the Department of Finance, the centralized government entity governing Dubai Government’s PPP Program, will deliver a keynote address to the distinguished delegates from around the world to emphasize the context and reasons for the decision to gather the PPP community as part of Expo 2020 in Dubai. His Excellency will highlight some of the fundamental initiatives undertaken by the Government of Dubai, which are critical for the success of the PPP program implementation, most notably in the legal and regulatory field, institutional framework and governance.

The conference will be honored to host His Excellency Abdulla Al Basti, the Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai, who will discuss the importance of partnerships between public and private sectors for delivering Dubai’s growth aspirations.  His Excellency will also provide a holistic view of Dubai Government’s strategic vision, future development plans and the important role private sector shall play in the delivery of future projects.

Worldwide PPPs have attracted significant investment in utilities, transport, education, health and defense sectors. While PPPs have proven to be a feasible alternative to traditional delivery of infrastructure for numerous governments, they represent complex legal, contractual and financial relationships between the public and private sectors and therefore generate long-term political, contractual and financial commitments.

In this session, we will bring together experts from other PPP jurisdictions including France, Canada, Greece and Africa to share those experiences – both in terms of successes as well as learning experiences.

• What are the most active sectors? Are some sectors naturally more successful under the PPP program?
• Are there recent strong trends across the sectors?
• How are projects typically originated? From Government/Public sector, PPP Units; or private sector (unsolicited bids)?
• Notable achievements in the international programs that others could try and replicate?
• What are key lessons in these international PPP programs that others should watch out for and avoid?
• Is there a formula for delivery of a successful PPP program?

The centralized PPP Unit at the Department of Finance has progressed exponentially since its establishment. It has achieved remarkable progress in legal and regulatory aspects, governance, implementation of pilot PPP projects and generation of a project pipeline in various sectors.

The unit has defined the vision and strategy for Dubai Government’s PPP program and has undertaken vital initiatives to facilitate the development of PPPs in the Emirate, with the cooperation of The Executive Council and The Legal Affairs Department.

This session will bring together key representatives leading the PPP program at the Department of Finance along with representatives from The Executive Council and The Legal Affairs Department to highlight the efforts that have been made till date, as well as providing insights into the key forthcoming initiatives which will be fundamental to drive the PPP program.

Interview Questions to cover the following:

• Establishment of the Centralized PPP Unit at DoF to govern Dubai Government’s PPP program
• Strategy & vision of the unit, key initiatives undertaken, pilot projects
• The role & responsibilities and purpose of the Unit
• Legal framework and governance set up to facilitate PPPs in the Emirate
• Strategic outlook for the PPP program and the overall involvement of the private sector in implementing Dubai Government’s projects

In order to achieve a successful long-term partnership, it is very important to align the motivations of both parties – the public sector and the private sector. The starting point for any underlying PPP framework is always a risk register. Practitioners and Advisors  focus on balancing the allocation of key project risks to define the primary responsibilities for each party.

This panel will explore perspectives of different stakeholders in balancing technical, commercial, legal and financial risks to get the best Value-For-Money:

• How does risk allocation affect project feasibility and bankability?
• Are there examples of best practices? Is there anything different/special about the MENA context?
• How much of the private sector risk profile is really driven by the developers? What sort of control do lenders really exercise?
• Is the public sector in MENA really flexible in their partnership approach?
• What are examples where a balanced approach delivered great Value-For-Money, or conversely where the failure to balance led to serious issues, delays or higher project costs?