Manama, April 2 (BNA) Bahrain Bourse concluded the annual conference of the Arab Federation of Capital Markets entitled (Annual Conference of the Arab Federation of Financial Markets: Bahrain 2022).
The conference, which was held under the patronage of the Minister of Finance and National Economy Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, highlighted the role of capital markets in supporting and financing strategic projects during the pandemic.
The conference also addressed the Bahrain Bourse’s efforts to attract foreign investments, develop clearing, settlement and depository services to provide more products and services to investors, disclose ESG in the region, and the emergence of the new RegTech era.
Over 95 participants took part in 19 sessions attended by more than 400 participants from stock exchanges, financial market regulators and brokerage firms.
“The economic recovery plan announced by the Kingdom of Bahrain plays an important role in attracting investments to the country, enhancing its competitiveness and supporting the local economy,” said Sheikh Khalifa bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, CEO of Bahrain Bourse and President of the Asian Football Confederation for 2022. In a major speech.
The Capital Markets Development Plan, which is part of the Financial Services Sector Development Strategy 2022-2026, will enhance the Bahrain Bourse’s role in attracting investments and providing advanced services to both investors and issuers. This cooperation with Arab capital markets will also enhance central depository deposits to increase liquidity in the local market and support the economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain.”
The Secretary-General of the Arab Capital Markets Association, Rami Al-Dakani, said that the year 2021 was an exceptional year in many different aspects, as global markets began to recover from the impact of the epidemic.
He said, “Arab markets were no exception, and the markets witnessed an increase in market capitalization by 18% to reach $3.8 trillion.”
The volume of traded shares also increased by 57% to reach 1.3 trillion shares. Last year, the region witnessed 23 IPOs, with total revenues of $8.1 million. In general, all Arab markets witnessed a noticeable increase in their indices, on top of which are the markets of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in the region.