Bahrain will host the fifth GCC Financial Forum next month, according to Euromoney Conferences, the world’s leading organiser of conferences for cross-border investment and capital markets.

Euromoney Conferences will once again co-host the Forum with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) on February 23 and 24 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manama. The event is expected to welcome more than 500 delegates.

The forum’s discussions will enable regional and global financial services providers to re-appraise their business strategies, a statement said.

Key themes to be addressed include regional and global market outlook for financial services; strategic opportunities in capital markets; wealth management; shared services, outsourcing and technology; Islamic finance, and hydrocarbons industry strategy.

Victoria Behn, director, Middle East for Euromoney Conferences said: “The GCC Financial Forum has grown to be one of the region’s leading financial services strategy events.  Now in its fifth year, the Forum faces a market that is undergoing a profound structural shift.”

“We will bring together an impressive line-up of speakers - which will include financial experts, economists, investors, bankers and policy makers - to discuss how organizations can successfully navigate the ongoing challenges in financial markets as well as how to identify and exploit the opportunities in the current economic environment. We extend our sincere gratitude to the Economic Development Board and our valued sponsors for their support.”

Khalid Al Rumaihi, chief executive of the Bahrain EDB, said: “We are delighted to be hosting the GCC Financial Forum again this year – at a time of change for the regional and global economies, events such as this are all the more important in finding ways of addressing challenges and continuing to take advantage of the opportunities in the GCC.

“Despite the fluctuations in today’s global markets, the underlying strengths of the Gulf economy mean that we continue to see interest from international investors who want to gain exposure to the region’s encouraging long term prospects. The calibre of speakers and attendees at the GCC Financial Forum provide an excellent opportunity for those people to gain deeper insights into those opportunities.”  - TradeArabia News Service