Wide-ranging accomplishments of a lawyer hired by the Government in order to build relations between Bermuda and the Middle East were outlined in the Senate yesterday.

Responding to parliamentary questions about Alexia Hefti, posed by opposition senator Dwayne Robinson, Owen Darrell, Government Senate Leader, responded at length.

Mr Darrell said Ms Hefti’s 12-month contract, announced in May, aims to advance opportunities in the region, particularly where they are aligned with Bermuda’s economic development strategy.

“Ms Hefti’s engagement strategy has yielded positive relations through advancing our relationship with the Emirates Family Office Association.

“An MOU was signed by Premier who visited Abu Dhabi last week, on behalf of the Ministry of Economy and Labour,” he said.

“Ms Hefti has not only focused on the Middle East, but has contributed to our foreign direct investment efforts globally.

“She developed the strategy for the Middle East market based on the collaborative foreign direct investment opportunities and aligned them with the economic development strategy.

“Ms Hefti has also assisted other ministers and organisations, and their Middle East strategies and meetings.

“She undertook a base-level analysis to determine the basis for FDI in the Gulf Co-operation Council region.

“She drafted an alternative legal instrument. She drove the strategy and creation of the first investment brochure outlining renewable energy opportunities, which was used in COP28.

“She provided assistance on the economic incorporation discussion, and prepared speaking points and strategies for meetings with various African Union members.”

Mr Darrell said she has also been involved in communication and representation, drafted speaking points for meetings related to Jordan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, including global meetings attended by David Burt and Anthony Howell, director and foreign overseas representative for the Bermuda Government.

Ms Hefti also brought a delegation from the UAE to Bermuda for the Bermuda Climate Summit, spoke on behalf of the Government and took part in cross-ministry collaborations.

“She facilitated discussions with the Bermuda Business Development Agency to organise delegation visits. She collaborated with the Ministry of Transport to organise the Government’s announcement to fully decarbonise its fleet,” Mr Darrell continued.

“She lined up the Premier’s Dubai TV announcement and the Deputy Premier’s podcast with Bloomberg.”

She held other media, press and event responsibilities, Mr Darrell said.

The shopping list of achievements did not impress the Opposition’s Douglas De Couto.

During the motion to adjourn, Dr De Couto, the Shadow Minister of Economic Development, said: “We were listening to all the accomplishments of Ms Hefti, and my interpretation of that is she’s a sort of PR person for certain government ministers.

“I couldn’t get any information out of the Government about her actual impact on Bermuda. I heard a lot of big words, a lot of things that are going to happen, but they didn’t seem to know what it would mean for the bottom line, what the actual investment income would, how much capital would come to Bermuda?

“What I heard was somebody travelling, promoting, arranging meetings, arranging PR, arranging YouTube videos.

“So my view is the taxpayer is paying for a little bit of promotion of government ministers. I’m not really happy about that, and I don’t think the Bermudian public are.

“Some of these things the Government is doing with this travel are good — or they could be good. I just hope they don’t end up on the scrapheap of initiatives like we’ve seen with many prior things from this government that look good on paper, such as the arbitration centre, vertical farming, fintech.

“I would welcome the opening of a Family Office Association office here from the Middle East, and let’s hope it brings billions of dollars of funds to be managed in Bermuda and the appropriate investment in Bermuda to support that activity.”

Kiernan Bell, the Senate vice-president, asked what legal instrument Ms Hefti drafted and how it would advance Bermuda’s economic interests, but Mr Darrell did not have the information at hand.

Robin Tucker, Opposition Senate Leader, asked whether Ms Hefti’s contract would be renewed.

Mr Darrell said any decision on that front would be announced in next year’s Budget.