Hello from Dubai

Good morning from Dubai,

I have a free day finally here after a busy first week of meetings and jet lag. Today is probably the first day where I actually feel “normal” and in my routine.

Yesterday was the AIMA conference here and it was pretty busy and a great event to meet some new folks. I sat (accidentally) with the ex CEO of Dubais version of the SEC who has been in the Middle East for a while and in Dubai since 2008.

I made the joke to a friend who works out here at Fisher Investments that my business here in the Middle East is me “shaking my tin cup” - below is a photo.

The amount of change they’ve done here to bring in financial firms is impressive.

Interestingly enough I sat next to the prior CEO of their version of the SEC at the event - an expat from the States who’s been in Dubai since 2008.

Overall a great event for information on the region but I’ve been in this industry long enough to know that most of them are a waste of time hence whey I avoid them like the plaque.

This was a lunch after the event that MNK, a friend and business associate here in Dubai (also in DeltaOne) took me too. It’s called Carnival and was great and a Michelin star spot that was a total of $90 dirham per person.

This is the heart of DIFC here after meetings yesterday.

Then I capped it off with a nap (much needed and likely why I feel great today) dinner and a cigar 74 floors up.

I watched most of the US session but until this CPI print today it’s dead flow.

There are some names in oil/energy that I am waiting on as we get toward the end of the week and this SP500 $6150 level is a big spot to cross if we want to get some broad market flow finally.

We’re also waiting on this PPI tomorrow but overall this is dead/chop until we get this data and/or these ranges to break.

Headed off to meet with some friends.

Enjoy the morning.

Dan