The Middle East Investor Relations Society (ME-IR Society) has announced the launch of a new Chapter in London, its first initiative outside the region.

The London Chapter will act as a platform for interaction between regional corporate members and London-based entities focused on the Middle East, a statement from the Society said. It will also act as a conduit for London-based institutional investors to learn more about frontier markets in the Middle East, consequently improving sentiment for the region through better Investor Relations.

The board will convene on a regular basis and work with the ME-IR Society to organise advisor and investor workshops as well as provide practical assistance to companies in the region through education programmes, conferences and thought leadership publications.

Paul Reynolds, chairman of the ME-IR Society, said: “We are delighted to be part of this important initiative aimed at strengthening the relationship between Society members in the Middle East and London entities focused on the region.”

“The ME-IR Society has made significant progress over the past few months setting up chapters in many countries across the Middle East, actively working to promote best practice IR among its members. The establishment of the London Chapter is therefore a logical next step in the development of the Society as we continue to deliver value to its members and support its overall growth.”

The launch will be the seventh ME-IR Society Chapter launched this year following recent successful chapter launches in Qatar, Palestine, Kuwait, Dubai, Oman and Abu Dhabi.

Maria Hunt, general manager of ME-IR Society in Dubai, said: “The strong bond between the financial markets of London and the Middle East is evident in the makeup of our membership – many of the Society’s advisor members are headquartered in London – not to mention the fact that a large number of investors and analysts covering the region are also based in the city.”

“Since our inception four years ago, the ME-IR Society has grown substantially and we now have over 250 members across the region with a total of six country chapters and established relationships with seven Stock Exchanges.”

“The new London Chapter will work to become a resource for the already established Investor Committee whose aim it is to build a stronger relationship with investors, and at the same time create a feedback channel to issuers,” Hunt concluded. – TradeArabia News Service