Having gained momentum over the past years, the AIIB is piquing interests. In this keynote presentation, we'll discuss everything that the DFI has been up to, and how it plans to continue to support projects throughout the coronavirus crisis.

The Oxford Style Debate is back, pitting industry leaders against each-other in a battle of opinions. Our teams take on some of the hottest debates facing the global market today. The winners? That will be for you to decide.

• Will ECAs respond to the Coronavirus crisis in the same way that they reacted to the Global Financial Crisis?
• Should low income countries in Asia be more coordinated with their borrowing? Should banks be more careful when lending to countries that could find themselves in debt distress?
• Is the industry really taking sustainability seriously?
• Is the OECD consensus fit for purpose, and is the US seriously blocking progress on the matter?

The transition towards a greater focus on ESG principles is at a crucial moment today. On the one hand, material progress has been made, for example through the adoption of OECD Recommendations. On the other hand, the Covid crisis poses the risk of derailing this transition, particularly if ECAs and borrowers see it as a luxury in testing times. This session will explore this dynamic in more detail and with concrete examples, placing it in the context of the Middle East where a heavy Oil & Gas nature makes it an even more important question.

Expo 2023 has the theme ‘Science, Innovation, Art and Creativity for Human Development. Creative Industries in Digital Convergence.’ Closer to home, export finance industry pundits are talking about using Covid-19 as a paradigm shift in ECA focus, with more projects being done in new technologies, telecoms/media, renewable energy, electric vehicles, storage/transmission/distribution of energy alongside collaborations with DFIs in healthcare, sanitation, water, education and social impact projects. How will these transactions differ from traditional ECA ones and how will they be structured? How much liquidity do they require? Will we see an increase in smaller ticket transactions and how can we make the product more suitable for these through standardised documentation and digitisation? Will we see a change in the role of commercial banks to a focus on structuring? While it is both prudent and exciting to look to the future, we also need to examine the present. Compared to current portfolios what percentage of total business do these new industries represent for ECAs and banks? Going forward when do we expect these industries to dominate ECA backed finance?

We delve deep into the TXF deals database, analysing closed deals from 2014-2020 and the pipeline of new opportunities, to highlight market trends, growth industries and challenges ahead. What can we learn from the deals that closed thus far during the pandemic? How badly will ECA volumes be impacted and how will the sector adapt?