Kurumba – The Asian Bankers Association (ABA) is pleased to announce that this year’s 35th ABA General Meeting and Conference is scheduled to take place on November 15-16, 2018 at Kurumba Resort in Maldives. The dates and venue were confirmed by the ABA Planning Committee during its recent meeting held on March 8 in Maldives and the tentative two-day program is presented at the end of this article.

To be hosted by Bank of Maldives under the theme “Banking in Asia: The New Frontier”, the two-day event is designed to provide another valuable platform for ABA members to meet and network with each other, as well as to exchange views with invited experts on: (a) current trends and developments in the regional and global markets that are expected to have a significant impact on the banking and financial sector of the region, and (b) how industry players can address the challenges – and take full advantage of the opportunities – presented by these developments.

The March 8 Planning Committee Meeting was presided by ABA Chairman Mr. Daniel Wu. It was attended by 18 representatives of 6 banks from 7 countries, including Austria, Iran, India, Maldives, Republic of China (Taiwan), and Vietnam.

Mr. Andrew Healy, Managing Director and CEO of Bank of Maldives, warmly welcomed the meeting participants and thanked them for attending the meeting. He expressed his appreciation to the ABA for accepting the offer of Bank of Maldives to host the 2018 annual conference of the Association. He said that it was certainly a great honor and privilege for Bank of Maldives to take the lead in organizing this important event, especially in light of the fact that it will be the first time that the annual gathering of the ABA will be held in Maldives.

Mr. Healy stated that Bank of Maldives will do its best – and with the support and guidance of the Planning Committee, the ABA Board of Directors, the ABA Secretariat, as well as the government of the Republic of Maldives – to match the excellent arrangements and high standards set by the Conference hosts of previous years.

Mr. Healy said that the 2018 Conference is expected to focus on the future direction of banking in Asia, and that Bank of Maldives look forward to playing its part while showcasing what the banking sector and the country have to offer. He also expressed his hopes that the Maldives Conference will serve as an occasion for bankers from Maldives to meet and network with their colleagues from other Asian countries, and share information with each other on the investment and business opportunities that Maldives and other ABA member countries have to offer.

ABA Chairman Mr. Wu thanked Bank of Maldives and its officers and staff led by Mr. Healy for hosting the meeting and for making all the necessary arrangements and the warm hospitality extended to the participants. He also conveyed his gratitude to the delegates from overseas for traveling long distances to participate in the meeting, and thanked the attendees from Maldives for taking time off their busy schedules to join the discussions

The Tentative Program and other relevant information about the November Conference (e.g., hotel accommodation, registration procedure, etc.) will be issued very soon. In the meantime, members are requested to already block the dates in your calendar of events this year. Once again, the ABA is counting on members’ valuable participation for the successful outcome of the annual gathering this year.