Dubai Chamber and Mashreq Dialogue Strengthens Financial Resilience for UAE Businesses
Dubai Chamber and Mashreq held a dialogue with 82 private-sector representatives to bolster financial resilience and showcase flexible financing and banking solutions.
Dubai Chamber and Mashreq convene private-sector forum
Dubai Chamber, part of the three-entity Dubai Chambers network, partnered with Mashreq to host an interactive session attended by 82 business representatives. The meeting aimed to identify urgent banking needs and explore ways to enhance the financial resilience of companies operating in Dubai.
Organizers said the session is part of a broader series of engagements designed to align financial products with the evolving needs of the private sector. The initiative reflects a coordinated effort to ensure companies remain adaptable amid shifting global economic conditions.
Senior leadership and experts at the table
The session brought together senior officials from Dubai Chambers and Mashreq, including Mohamed Ali Rashid Lootah and a delegation of Mashreq executives. Delegates from the bank included Joel van Dussen, head of corporate and investment banking, Fernando Morello, head of retail banking, and Roy Sebastian, head of group credit risk, who joined sector leaders in the discussions.
Speakers outlined the respective roles of public and private institutions in supporting business continuity and competitiveness. Participants underscored the value of direct dialogue in shaping banking services that respond to real-time business challenges.
Practical financing packages and banking tools presented
Mashreq presented a suite of financing options and advanced banking capabilities aimed at strengthening companies’ liquidity and operational efficiency. The bank highlighted flexible credit facilities, tailored working-capital solutions, and digital cash-management tools intended to reduce administrative friction and improve access to capital.
Officials emphasized mechanisms that enable rapid response to cash-flow shocks and sector-specific volatility. The presented measures were positioned as practical levers businesses can deploy to enhance their financial resilience in both short- and medium-term horizons.
Sector-specific needs and adaptive financing discussed
Roundtable conversations probed the most pressing financing needs across industries, with participants identifying differences in working-capital cycles, trade finance requirements, and capital investment plans. The dialogue focused on bespoke approaches rather than one-size-fits-all products, stressing the importance of financing structures that reflect sector dynamics.
Private-sector representatives called for greater flexibility in loan terms, more transparent risk-assessment frameworks, and expanded digital channels for onboarding and servicing. Bank and chamber representatives agreed that targeted, adaptive financing is critical to sustaining operations and supporting future growth.
Risk management and sustainability in lending decisions
Credit-risk management featured prominently, with Mashreq executives outlining how risk assessment practices are being updated to account for geopolitical and macroeconomic shifts. The bank described efforts to balance prudent lending with the need to maintain credit access for viable businesses.
Speakers also highlighted the role of sustainability and governance in lending decisions, noting that financial resilience increasingly includes long-term operational sustainability. The discussion linked strong risk practices to improved confidence among lenders and borrowers alike.
Collaboration to reinforce Dubai’s business competitiveness
Dubai Chamber’s leadership reiterated the organization’s commitment to protecting business interests and bolstering the private sector’s competitiveness. Mohamed Ali Rashid Lootah emphasized the chamber’s role in strengthening the city’s integrated economic ecosystem and supporting companies under varying conditions.
Mashreq’s corporate leaders stressed their commitment to ongoing collaboration with the chamber to develop banking solutions tailored to the market. They framed the partnership as part of a wider ecosystem approach to ensure businesses have access to the tools needed to adapt and thrive.
The dialogue closed with a commitment to continued engagement and follow-up workshops to translate the session’s findings into concrete products and advisory services. Stakeholders agreed to keep channels open for feedback so that financial solutions evolve alongside business needs.
Officials said subsequent sessions will drill deeper into sectoral priorities and expand participation to include additional financial institutions and corporate stakeholders. The objective is to create a scalable model that supports financial resilience across Dubai’s diverse private sector.
The forum reinforced the view that proactive public-private collaboration and targeted banking products are essential to safeguarding the continuity and growth of UAE businesses in an uncertain global environment.