DMCC Convenes Global Precious Metals Conference with World Bank Distinguished Speaker
The fourteenth Dubai Precious Metals Conference will unite international policymakers, central bankers and market leaders to examine the transformative forces reshaping global precious metals markets, featuring prominent speakers from the World Bank, OECD and leading financial institutions.
DMCC, the preeminent international business district catalysing global commerce through Dubai, has secured Isabelle Strauss-Kahn, a distinguished former senior official at the World Bank and Banque de France, as a keynote speaker for the 14th Dubai Precious Metals Conference, commencing on 16th and 17th November 2026 at Uptown Dubai.
The Ministry of Foreign Trade serves as Strategic Partner for this significant gathering, with Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade, delivering the opening keynote address, wherein he will expound upon the evolving global trade landscape and the United Arab Emirates’ pivotal role in fostering international market connectivity.
Convened under the compelling theme “Reshaping Global Precious Metals Markets,” the conference will assemble an eminent assembly of policymakers, central bankers, bullion market leaders, investors and senior stakeholders to deliberate upon the multifaceted forces reconfiguring precious metals markets. These encompass geopolitical tensions, evolving trade flows, central bank reserve methodologies and emerging financial technologies.
Strauss-Kahn brings more than two decades of profound expertise in central banking, sovereign reserve management and international financial markets. She formerly led the World Bank Treasury’s Reserve Advisory and Management Partnership, providing counsel to central banks and sovereign wealth funds globally, and served as Director of Market Operations at Banque de France, where she oversaw gold and foreign exchange reserves alongside monetary policy operations. She presently maintains her position as a Non-Executive Director on the board of the London Bullion Market Association.
Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC, articulated that Strauss-Kahn’s comprehensive experience spanning central banking, sovereign reserve management and international financial markets will contribute invaluable insight to conference deliberations during a period when gold’s fundamental position within the global financial system undergoes reassessment. He further noted that geopolitical uncertainty, shifting trade corridors and sustained central bank demand are profoundly reshaping precious metals markets.
Strauss-Kahn emphasised that gold maintains a consequential role in the international monetary system, particularly as central banks reconsider reserve strategies in response to geopolitical uncertainty and evolving economic conditions. She underscored that the transformation of global bullion markets raises significant considerations regarding liquidity, transparency, market infrastructure and the interplay between physical and financial markets.
Additional confirmed speakers encompass David Tait, Chief Executive Officer of the World Gold Council; Louis Maréchal, Senior Advisor at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Michael Lawrence, Chief Executive of Asia House; and Essa Alfalasi, Chairman of Emirates Minting Factory.
The programme commences with a dedicated mining workshop on 16th November, succeeded by the principal conference on 17th November, which shall address gold’s evolving significance within the international financial system, the emergence of innovative trade corridors, digital ownership, financing frameworks, provenance infrastructure and traceability mechanisms.
Source: WAM