Connecting Visions: IEDEA’s Role in the Asian Business Landscape

Starting in 2006 by Malini N. Menon, IEDEA is growing to be a significant base for the global linkage of Asian businesses and organizations operating out of Dubai. Over these years, the network and acumen of IEDEA have been leveraged to develop forums for connecting the business leader, policymakers, and innovators in addressing the needs for economic and social growth of the region. Through events, digital initiatives, and strategic partnerships, IEDEA has actually led to further ties that strengthen the Asian economies, building an unparalled room for both corporate and government initiatives in the dynamic leadership led by this platform.

Its headquarter at the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre, IEDEA boasts an impressive background of becoming the official outreach partner to various high-profile initiatives launched by the UAE Government. Such events include the World Government Summit, Dubai Investment Week, and the Global Women’s Forum Dubai, among others. IEDEA is also a strategic partner to Dubai Cares, a prominent UAE-based charity organization, which, in large measure, supports social development efforts in the area of education for children and youth in developing countries.

Some of the flagship initiatives by IEDEA include the Asian Business Leadership Forum (ABLF), which honours top business achievers across Asia. This event, under the patronage of Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance, provides a platform for acknowledging leaders who have made significant contributions to Asia’s business landscape. Since its inception, ABLF has been in the spotlight of the powerful players from policymakers to CEOs. It has helped in developing influential business relationships across the Gulf, India, and Southeast Asia. The ABLF Awards, now running into their tenth year in 2017, recognized Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak for her work toward women’s empowerment, among others, as well as distinguished business leaders such as Ratan Tata, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, and Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

More than the awards given annually, the impact of IEDEA extends through ABLF Talks TV – a unique series of episodes, which started in 2019, in partnership with CNBC Arabia that featured insights of Asian leaders in three minutes of episodes. This serves as a source of inspiration offering lessons on leadership from among the top executives, officials, and industry pioneers. In complementing the larger goals of the UAE, it has created an environment where businesses can grow and expand across borders with purpose-driven strategies, which is where IEDEA efforts toward actionable knowledge come in.

The agency’s commitment to economic and social prosperity also saw it support the UAE’s National Program for Happiness and Wellbeing, aimed at promoting happiness as a lifestyle in the UAE. IEDEA is also an outreach partner for the Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation, a testament to its commitment to innovative solutions in governance.

To commemorate and expand India-UAE ties, IEDEA also helped support the publishing endeavour India and the UAE: In Celebration of Legendary Friendship by former Indian Consul-General Venu Rajamony. The book is based on the development and journey of the UAE-India relationship, underlined with mutual respect and cooperation by both nations. Building on this theme, IEDEA’s India-UAE Knowledge Forum works as a platform in developing public-private partnerships in the space of education and human resource development, a step towards strengthening regional ties.

From creating the Asian Business Awards Middle East to launching OneAsia2020 with former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, IEDEA has been a pioneer in Asian collaboration in all of these initiatives: they seek to address Asia’s most serious issues related to social cohesion and economic empowerment by gathering together a collective of visionary leaders committed to sustainable development.

Today, the extensive portfolio of initiatives, partnerships, and events that IEDEA has undertaken puts it at the forefront of transformative Asian business and economic collaboration. With visionary insights combined with strategic networking, IEDEA is poised to bridge gaps within Asia’s thriving economies, continuing to nurture a resilient and interconnected business ecosystem for the future.