EFG Hermes, the leading financial services corporation serving frontier emerging markets, kicked off its 14th annual One on One Conference in Dubai this morning under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai.

The gathering takes place under the headline “Shifting Benchmarks” and comes just weeks into a year in which investors look to navigate intermittent volatility that has impacted global markets, which are already grappling with disruptors including the future impact of fintech and regulatory changes under MiFID II, among others.

The One on One Conference continues to serve as the catalyst for capital market investment across Frontier Emerging Markets (FEMs), with this year’s gathering seeing executives from 173 companies spanning 26 countries meet with 518 investors from 255 institutions managing more than USD 8 trillion assets under management.

“This year’s conference — our largest yet — could not have come at a more opportune time in the Firm’s growth as we make significant headway in expanding our global footprint, our client portfolio and our network of institutional investors in this fascinating time for Frontier Emerging Markets (FEMs),” said Karim Awad, Group Chief Executive Officer of EFG Hermes. “With expectations that 2018 will be a breakout year for FEMs due to rapid economic growth, favorable demographics and the emergence of large, consumption-driven middle classes, FEMs have found themselves firmly on the global investment radar, making this year’s conference increasingly relevant.”

Against this backdrop, presenting companies this year, including a number of pre-IPO prospects, are drawn from 14 industries including consumer-driven sectors, energy, banking, finance, healthcare, industrials, information technology, telecoms, utilities, real estate and more.

“Global fund managers and institutional investors attending this year’s conference see interesting opportunities in the period ahead in both public and private equities. Drivers in this respect range from the potential inclusion of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia in the MSCI and FTSE emerging market benchmarks; an increase in government spending in Saudi Arabia that has led to a pickup in consumer spending; and a growing focus across our footprint on renewable energy as governments aim to free oil and gas up for export,” said Mohamed Ebeid, co-CEO of the investment bank at EFG Hermes.

EFG Hermes Research estimates that the Middle East and North Africa’s weight on the MSCI EM benchmark could increase to 5% with the inclusion of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, up from effectively 0% in 2013. Passive inflows to Saudi Arabia could top USD 10 billion after an upgrade, accounting for roughly 20% of overall flows.

This morning, attendees will vote in the EFG Hermes Consensus, the world’s largest (and only live) poll of frontier and emerging market investors and executives. Furthermore, the conference’s main session will feature a strong line-up of speakers and panelists such as:

A high-profile interview discussing promoting investments and managing public enterprises with H.E. Khaled Badawi, Egypt’s Minister of Public Enterprise.

The second session will focus on structural developments in MENA equity markets featuring:

·        Mr. Mohamed Farid, Chairman of the Egyptian Exchange & the Federation of Euro-Asian Stock Exchanges

·        Mr. Mishaal Al-Usaimi, Vice Chairman of the Board of Commissioners and Acting Chairman / Managing Director of the Capital Market Authority (Kuwait)

·        Mr. Khaled AbdulRazzaq AlKhaled, CEO Boursa Kuwait

·        Dr. Obaid Saif Hamad Al Zaabi, CEO of the Securities and Commodities Authority (UAE)

·        Mr. Khaled A. Al Homoud, Member of the Board of Commissioners, Capital Market Authority (KSA)

·        Mr. Omar Al Serkal, Manager of Market Surveillance Section Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)

The EFG Hermes One on One Conference will also feature a new panel at the main session on March 5th. Dubbed the “Disruption and its impact across MENA”, the discussion will center on businesses that have launched unique models that reshaped industries, moved markets and transformed lives. These businesses have disrupted conventional business models, pushed barriers and broken down boundaries between markets.

The session will feature a strong lineup of influential business figures who have been integral to this revolution:

·        Faraz Khalid, Chief Executive Officer, Noon (UAE)

·        Ankur Shah, Chief Finance and Development Officer, Careem (UAE)

·        Mohamed Elkalla, Founder, CIRA (Egypt)

·        Robert Willett, Director, Mobile World Group (Vietnam)