Bahrain Bourse to host Arab Federation of Exchanges Conference in April

Bahrain Bourse (BHB) will host the Arab Federation of Exchanges (AFE) Annual Conference 2015 in partnership with Thomson Reuters, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals
The conference, entitled "AFE Equities Summit 2015", is set to take place in the Kingdom of Bahrain on the 22nd and 23rd of April 2015.
The AFE Board Meeting and General Assembly will be held in parallel to the "AFE Equities Summit 2015" gathering more than 18 Arab Stock Exchanges, 4 Clearing, Settlement and Depository Companies and several financial institutions
The conference will serve as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience in a dynamic environment, and will encourage the transfer of best practices within the region by providing the best networking opportunities possible. The AFE Equities Summit 2015 aims to help in developing the Arab Financial Markets, and improve the integration and liquidity of those markets. The conference also aims to develop the IPO process within the Arab Financial Markets and increase the awareness of technological advancements in the equities field.
The AFE’s annual conference plays an important role in uniting the leaders of the Arab financial markets with regional and international experts. The AFE Equities Summit 2015 will encompass once again all stakeholders within the Equities field where Arab Stock Exchanges will get the opportunity to meet and promote their listed companies to the potential international and regional investors.
More than 400 participants from Exchanges, regulatory bodies of the financial markets, brokerage firms, investment fund managers, investment banks, selective high net worth individuals, economic journalists, research firms, corporates/listed companies, rating agencies, technical associations, and local banks are expected to attend the conference.
The conference will include key note speeches, panel, and Q&A sessions. The panels and discussions will cover a wide range of topics including, the Exchanges global trends, opening the Saudi Market and the challenges faced, current trends and challenges for the Arab Exchanges. The conference will also cover topics on direct market access, new technologies and market protection, ETFs, tracker funds, and market making in the Arab region and how to attract new IPOs. The conference will be concluded with a panel discussion on an overview of Arab Markets and expectations.
Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse (BHB) said that organizing and hosting the "AFE Equities Summit 2015" is a great opportunity for international firms to exchange experience and expertise, which in return supports the development of the capital market in Bahrain and the region as a whole.
Shaikh Khalifa added, "BHB is keen to attract both local and international firms to list at the Bourse, and this conference will hopefully open the doors to new companies to trade or even list at the Bourse."
Nadim Najjar, Managing Director, Middle East & North Africa, Thomson Reuters, said: "We are delighted to host the summit this year in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The event provides a networking and discussion platform for authorities, practitioners, advisors and market participants. Capital markets across MENA are witnessing ongoing change and it is crucial we collectively address the challenges facing our markets."
"The summit contributes to strengthen the Arab Federation of Exchanges efforts in developing capital markets. It is a unique opportunity for capital markets officials to coordinate and cooperate with a view to achieve fairness, efficiency, transparency and protect MENA capital markets investors," Mr. Najjar concluded.
Dr. Fadi Khalaf, the Secretary General of the Arab Federation of Exchanges (AFE) stated "After the remarkable success of the "AFE Equities Summit 2014" held last June in Dubai - UAE, the AFE is glad to announce the "AFE Equities Summit 2015" which is hosted this year by the Bahrain Bourse on the 22nd and 23rd of April in Manama – Kingdom of Bahrain."
Dr. Khalaf added "as usual, we have kept on elevating the AFE Summit to an international level marked by the presence of many Head of International Exchanges. The first panel will be dedicated to the leaders of the World Federation of Exchanges who will be sharing their expertise with the region. Throughout the 2 days, International and Regional experts will be discussing the latest topics of a high interest on the Financial Markets."