Senior banking leaders and representatives of major financial institutions are set to participate in the 9th Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference, which will take place on May 6-7, 2014 at the Al Faisaliah Hotel in Riyadh. The conference, which was named as the “Best national and regional conference on the Saudi economy” by the Council of Ministers, will be co-hosted with the Saudi Ministry of Finance. It is attracting some of the most important people in finance to the Kingdom, to take part in a far-reaching discussion of crucial issues facing the country and the global economy today.
A major session on capital markets will look at the development of Saudi Arabia's stock exchange, and examine the careful steps being taken to allow greater foreign direct investment and enhance the regulatory framework. The Saudi bourse, the Tadawul, has a market capitalization of $417 billion, and sees around $1.3 billion traded every day, making it the region's most liquid market by a significant margin. However, the authorities recognize the need to open the market beyond the current base of retail investors in the Kingdom. International banks including HSBC Holdings have suggested that Saudi Arabia's market may open to foreigners as early as this year.
Adel Al-Ghamdi, Chief Executive Officer of Tadawul; Salah Garawi, Head of Corporate Finance at Saudi Aramco; Yasser Al-Sharif, Chief Executive Officer of Manafea Holding Company; and Nina Lagron, Senior Fund Manager at Amundi Asset Management will take part in a keynote discussion chaired by Euromoney to examine the changes affecting the Tadawul and the road ahead for the Arab World's largest stock market.
Infrastructure investment is another area of the Saudi economy seeing significant development. Due to the rising population and on-going economic growth, the Kingdom is looking to raise significant funds to support transport, water, power and housing projects, looking to a mix of public and private investment.
Euromoney is gathering the key players involved in these projects to discuss the investment opportunities and the potential challenges that lie ahead. The panel on infrastructure will include representatives from NCB, the Bechtel Group, ACWA Power and Saudi Kuwait Finance House, bringing a range of perspectives to the debate.
Euromoney Conferences' Regional Director Richard Banks said: “Each of our panels will feature national and international financial leaders who are playing an active role in shaping the future of the Saudi Arabian economy. With senior government representatives, private sector chief financial officers and major bankers, The Euromoney Saudi Arabia Conference is set to be a crucial event for financiers and investors working in and with the Kingdom.”
Representing the government at the event will be Dr Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance; Dr Muhammad Al-Jasser, Minister of Economy and Planning; Dr Shwaish Al-Dowaihy, Minister of Housing; Adel Fakeih, Minister of Labor; and Majid Al-Moneef, Secretary General of Saudi Supreme Economic Council.
Other major executives taking part include Charles Dallara, Executive Vice Chairman of the Board and Chairman of the Americas of Partners Group (US); Ambroise Fayolle, Chief Executive Officer of Agence France Trésor and representatives of some of the Kingdom's key enterprises, including senior officials from the Public Pension Agency, NCB, Etihad Etisalat Mobily, SABIC, Al Rajhi Capital, and Jadwa Investment.
Major global institutions represented at the event will include HSBC, BNP Paribas, and The World Bank. — SG
