The 9th GCC Banking Conference will be taking place in the Kingdom of Bahrain on March 24-25, 2009 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel & Spa. The Central Bank of Bahrain, in cooperation with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretariat General, is organizing the conference under the theme “A New Era in International Banking Practices: Implications for the GCC Markets.” As world financial markets are shifting toward a new era in international banking practices, Bahrain will play host to this timely conference, which was hosted by GCC member states in rotation for the past 15 years. All governors of the GCC central banks and monetary agencies, heads of GCC capital markets, senior bankers from the region, as well representatives of the world's leading international financial institutions, will attend the forum. The conference will discuss salient issues facing financial markets, and will ensure the GCC's economic stability and prosperity. Discussions will also highlight distinct advantages for the GCC markets in the context of global market conditions. The conference's new theme aims to provide a platform for participants to discuss the most pertinent challenges currently affecting the GCC financial markets, in addition to opportunities for growth, and to discuss overall industry trends in the global economy. __
