Belt and Road Summit 2024

Event Overview

The Belt and Road Summit 2024, held September 11–12, 2024, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, served as the flagship gathering of the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI) community. Over 6,000 delegates from 70+ countries—including heads of state, finance ministers, multilateral agencies (World Bank, IMF), and major private-sector CEOs—assembled to discuss strategic infrastructure, sustainable development, and digital trade corridors. The summit featured high-level panels, policy dialogues, and a dedicated “MoU Zone” for formalizing partnership agreements. Key themes were green logistics, smart cities, renewable energy financing, and public-private partnership models.

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AGI Holding’s Participation

• Keynote & Panel Engagement:
  • Dr. Sadeddine Mneimne, AGI’s Chairman, delivered a 30-minute keynote on “Green Corridors & Smart Logistics,” emphasizing ESG standards, carbon-offset strategies, and cross-border connectivity.
  • AGI’s representatives joined panels on “Renewable Energy Financing” (alongside Kuwait’s Minister of Energy and IFC officials) and “Digital Trade & Blockchain in BRI.”
• MoU Signings:
  1. Allied Environmental Consultants (AEC): Co-development of an eco-friendly transport hub in the Sohar Free Zone, Oman, with initial feasibility funding of $2 million.
  2. FansWave (Hong Kong Startup): Deploy AI-powered public WiFi marketing networks in Riyadh and Dubai. AGI will manage network operations, share ad-revenue models, and deliver analytics dashboards.
  3. Farmacy HK (Agri-Tech Firm): Joint R&D for vertical farming pilots in UAE and Qatar climates; planned breakthrough in water-efficient hydroponics by Q3 2025.
• Exhibition & Demo Space:
  • AGI’s booth featured interactive kiosks demonstrating:
    • FansWave analytics dashboards monitoring real-time foot traffic.
    • AR-based greenhouse operation simulations for vertical farming.
  • Live Q&A sessions at the booth provided personalized briefing on pilot project scopes.

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Event Highlights

• Opening Ceremony: Led by UAE’s Minister of Economy and China’s Ambassador, with Dr. Mneimne as one of three featured speakers.
• Panel on Smart Cities: AGI’s Tech Director presented “IoT-Enabled Green Logistics,” emphasizing low-carbon corridor design and public health co-benefits.
• Breakout Sessions: “ESG Finance for Infrastructure” roundtable included banks from Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and Gulf Development Fund reps.
• MoU Zone Ceremonies: Formal signings were streamed live on the summit’s digital portal, locking in initial funding commitments for AGI-led pilots.

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Outcomes and Impact

• Funding Secured:
  • $8 million seed capital raised for FansWave network deployment in Riyadh, confirmed by Riyadh Smart City Authority.
  • $2 million commitment from Allied Environmental for Oman logistics hub design and pilot.
• Partnership Pipeline:
  • AGI designated as preferred PPP (public-private partnership) service provider for three new freight consortium projects in UAE, Egypt, and Kazakhstan.
  • Farmacy HK collaboration to finalize vertical farm site selection in Abu Dhabi by early Q2 2025, targeting 5 hectares under sustainable cultivation.
• Thought Leadership:
  • AGI’s CSR Director interviewed by Gulf News on “Leveraging Technology for Desert Agriculture,” highlighting water-saving hydroponic methods.
  • Recognized as one of the “Top 10 Innovative SMEs in BRI” in the official Summit Publication.

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