ABU DHABI, JAN 3, 2002 (WAM)--More than 200 global investors, fund managers, banking and investment experts will be meeting in the UAE to discuss the global market of alternative investments in the context of the current global and Middle Eastern political, economic and business status, at the Hedge Funds World Middle East 2002. Top Arab and international economists, including Antoine Massad, associate director and head of Middle East and Asia at Man Investment Products, a global leader in the alternative investment industry with over 9.5 billion US dollars under management, will address the three-day conference, which will take place at the Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai on Feb 4th, 5th and 6th, according to a press release published in the +Khaleej Times.+ Also addressing the forum will be Sohail Jaffer, chairman of the Middle East Chapter of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), Wolfgang Landl, senior investment manager, Man Glenwood GmbH, Suresh Kumar, managing director of Emirates Financial Services, and Mohammad Tariq, head of Securities for Capital Markets at Arab Banking Corporation. Announcing the details of the forthcoming event, Stefan Nilsson of Terrapinn, organisers of the Hedge Funds World Middle East 2002, said that the conference is geared to address the global and regional alternative investment issues for the growing investment community in the region, at different levels. The conference will review the changing face of investing from traditional asset classes to alternatives and hedge funds, highlight new trends and developments in the hedge funds industry and explain the rationale behind investment strategy decisions, what do investors look for in terms of risks and returns. It will also evaluate capital allocation and risk/return criteria for different investments. Case studies from the US and Europe will be presented, highlighting the implications of increased transparency and due diligence. The performance of the hedge funds industry will also be reviewed, the release said. WAM-VV