Arqaam Capital to convene leading investors and CEOs at 12th Annual MENA Investor Conference in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi, UAE – Arqaam Capital, a leading MENA-focused investment banking institution, is pleased to announce that it will host its 12th Annual MENA Investor Conference from 19–20 May 2025 at the Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi, in partnership with Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX). The conference will bring together over 500 senior executives, global investors, policymakers, and leading economists to discuss the emerging opportunities and challenges shaping the future of the region's capital markets. The conference is expected to see participation from institutions managing over USD 1 trillion in assets, reaffirming the region's growing significance in global investment strategies.
"As the global macroeconomic landscape continues to evolve, the depth, resilience, and innovation of MENA's capital markets have never been more important," said Riad Meliti, CEO of Arqaam Capital."The 12th Annual MENA Investor Conference will address the macroeconomic shifts impacting investment flows, the role of Abu Dhabi's leadership in AI-driven industrial expansion, the booming MENA IPO markets and the transformation of sectors such as real estate, financial services, and venture capital. Record levels of bond and sukuk issuance, a surging IPO pipeline, and growing liquidity provision activities all point to a maturing, globally connected investment landscape. Arqaam Capital is proud to provide a platform for strategic dialogue and collaboration, connecting global investors to the opportunities shaping the future of the region's economies, while delivering liquidity solutions, market insights, and corporate access across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the broader GCC."
Held under the theme 'From Vision to Value Creation: Navigating MENA's Market Transformation,' the two-day event will explore the most critical trends influencing regional investment strategies. Topics will include the Abu Dhabi Vision and its long-term diversification agenda, a GCC macroeconomic update amid shifting global trade policies, the expansion of AI and data centers as catalysts for industrial and energy market growth, and the future of the regional IPO pipeline. Additional sessions will address rising interest rates and fintech innovation within the financial sector, the role of real estate investment vehicles and REIT reforms, venture capital trends in MENA, and new strategies for strengthening market confidence through sell-side research, liquidity provision, and strategic investor relations. The conference will also record activity across the region's debt and equity markets, with GCC bond and sukuk issuance reaching nearly $150 billion and IPOs raising over $13 billion in 2024, driven by strong investor appetite, market sophistication, and economic diversification initiatives.
The conference will feature prominent speakers including Abdalla Al Nuaimi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX), Klaus Froelich, CIO at ADNOC Group; Youssef Salem, CFO of ADNOC Drilling; Paul Gamble, Senior Director of the Sovereign Group at Fitch Ratings; Mr. Fayez Ibbini, Founder and CEO of Alpha Data; Mansoor Rahma Alfalasi, CEO of Dubai Taxi Company; Saif Al Hamhami, CEO of Abraj Energy Services; and Haitham Al Salmi, CEO of Muscat Stock Exchange. Senior executives from MSCI, leading financial advisory firms, and GCC-listed corporates will also participate, offering unique perspectives on market development and investor engagement.
In addition to plenary sessions and panel discussions, the conference will feature private lunches, issuer workshops, and corporate access meetings, enabling deeper dialogue between investors and management teams from across the region's leading corporates.
About Arqaam Capital
Founded in 2007, Arqaam Capital has established itself as a leading institutional financial services firm in the MENA region, with operations across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Lebanon. Combining global best practices with deep regional expertise, Arqaam bridges capital with opportunity, offering unmatched solutions to institutions, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. Renowned for its professionalism, innovation, and award-winning products, Arqaam is a trusted partner, driving growth and delivering value in some of the world's most dynamic markets.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
4 hours ago
- Zawya
Yango Tech to let businesses boost their products in AI chatbots with genAI platform
Dubai, UAE – Yango Tech, the unified ecosystem delivering tailored advanced B2B technology solutions to local businesses within Yango Group, has announced the upcoming launch of its GenAI Platform —a first-of-its-kind system in the MENA region designed to help retailers and brands gain top visibility and engage with customers across AI chatbots such as Claude, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. The GenAI Platform will allow retailers to list and promote their products directly within AI-powered chat interfaces, turning everyday conversations into high-intent shopping experiences. For example, when customers search for queries like 'Best sneakers under $200' or 'Where to buy new hairstyler', retailers using the GenAI Platform can appear as the top result, providing real-time pricing and availability. Initial rollouts of the GenAI Platform are set to begin with select retailers in the MENA region by the end of 2025. One of the key benefits for retailers is improved discoverability. Rather than depending exclusively on web or app traffic, businesses can now be featured prominently within AI chat results, aligning their offerings with high-intent product searches and increasing the likelihood of conversion. For example, a regional e-grocery retailer using Yango Tech's GenAI Platform can ensure their freshest produce is highlighted first when a customer queries meal planning options on Perplexity. Max Avtukhov, Chief Executive of Yango Tech Retail, said: "With AI-driven neuro platforms becoming a dominant new channel for everyday search, Yango Tech's GenAI Platform marks a bold step forward. Today's consumers are turning to AI chat tools for everything from travel advice to tailored product suggestions, ushering in a new era of seamless personalized shopping experiences. It's a massive shift—from desktop to mobile browser search, and now to intelligent conversational platforms. We understand what it takes to win in this space first. This shift is an entirely new commerce environment, and with our GenAI Platform, we will give retailers the infrastructure they need to not only show up but to win in this space first.' At the core of the platform is Yango Tech's MCP Router, a system that acts as a central translator and traffic manager. It collects product-related queries from different AI platforms, routes them to the merchant's content systems (known as MCPs), and delivers ranked results back to the user in real-time. The result is a new channel for conversational commerce, where customer engagement meets immediate transaction potential. The launch of the platform comes at a time of massive regional momentum. AI is projected to contribute up to $150 billion to GCC economies and the conversational AI market is projected to exhibit a growth rate of 23.6% by 2033 in the region, while MENA's retail sector is expected to grow to $1.4 trillion by 2032. The GenAI Platform also ensures multi-interface support, allowing brands to scale effortlessly across millions of daily interactions while maintaining low response times and consistent messaging. This scalability is essential as 40% of the time, 80% of users rely on AI when searching online. Following the MENA rollout, Yango Tech plans to expand the GenAI Platform to Latin America and other markets throughout 2026, supporting global retailers in capturing attention and revenue across the AI frontier. About Yango Tech Yango Tech, a part of the global tech company Yango Group, is a unified ecosystem delivering advanced B2B technology solutions tailored to meet the diverse needs of modern businesses. The company offers an integrated suite of tools, spanning warehousing, mobility, retail, and beyond, designed to help businesses streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive sustainable growth. The ecosystem includes AI technology solutions for retailers Yango Tech Retail, last mile delivery Yango Tech Autonomy, AI-powered automation solution for warehouses Yango Tech Robotics, advertising solutions Retail Media, last-mile delivery management solution RouteQ, cloud platform Yango Tech Cloud, corporate browser for organizations Yango Tech Browser, and database YangoDB. By leveraging cutting-edge AI-powered innovations, Yango Tech empowers companies to stay competitive and thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Gulf Business
7 hours ago
- Gulf Business
Massive AI Surge: UAE's GenAI growth hits 344%, leading the region
Image credit: Getty Images The UAE has recorded a 344 per cent year-over-year increase in Generative AI (GenAI) enrollments, significantly outpacing the MENA regional average of 128 per cent and the global average of 195 per cent. The findings are based on the Global Skills Report 2025 from Coursera, a leading online learning platform with over 170 million users worldwide. Read- The report highlights the UAE's growing emphasis on future-ready talent, with 87 per cent of employers in the country prioritising technology literacy, AI, and big data skills. The country continues to lead the region in digital upskilling, with 13 per cent of the labor force actively engaging in online learning. Workforce transformation driven by AI Professional certificate enrollments rose by 41 per cent, including a 14 per cent increase in cybersecurity courses—demonstrating rising demand for job-relevant, tech-focused credentials. The report analyses skill trends and learner behavior across more than 100 countries. The sharp increase in GenAI enrollments reflects the UAE's broader strategy to cultivate a knowledge-based economy powered by Emirati talent, aligning with the national 'We the UAE 2031' vision. UAE ranks first in Arab world on AI Maturity Index A new feature in this year's study is the AI Maturity Index, which evaluates national readiness for AI by combining learner engagement data with indicators from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the OECD. The UAE ranks first in the Arab world and 32nd globally out of 109 countries. This ranking is supported by national initiatives such as the planned 5GW AI Campus and the integration of AI into public school curricula. These efforts align with the UAE's National Artificial Intelligence Strategy 2031, which aims to make AI a key contributor to over 20 per cent of the non-oil GDP by that year. 'The UAE is rapidly scaling AI learning and infrastructure to drive workforce transformation and regional innovation. Its strong performance on the AI Maturity Index, combined with high rankings in overall skills proficiency, demonstrates the country's growing ability to close skill gaps, nurture future talent, and lead in AI readiness,' Kais Zribi, General Manager for the Middle East and Africa at Coursera, said. Key challenges: Gender gap and skills shortage remain Despite the UAE's progress, challenges persist. The country ranks 38th globally in overall skills proficiency across business, technology, and data science, though it leads the Arab world. Notably, the UAE shows high proficiency in business skills (85 per cent), moderate strength in data science (59 per cent), and room for improvement in technology (52 per cent). Among the 10.8 million learners in the MENA region, 1.3 million are based in the UAE, with a median age of 36. Mobile learning continues to grow, with 41 per cent of users accessing content via mobile devices. However, 72 per cent of UAE employers still cite skills gaps as a major barrier—above the global average. Increasing women's participation in emerging tech fields remains critical. Women currently make up 32 per cent of online learners in the UAE, with just 24 per cent enrolled in STEM courses and 21 per cent in GenAI, highlighting a significant opportunity for more inclusive growth.
Zawya
10 hours ago
- Zawya
Resilient non-oil sectors to keep Qatar's economy afloat in 2025
Doha, Qatar: Qatar's economy is expected to remain on stable footing in 2025, buoyed by steady growth in non-hydrocarbon sectors and a slight recovery in hydrocarbon output, according to a recent analysis by Fitch Solutions. While global economic uncertainty and softening energy prices have led to a downward revision in the country's growth forecast from 2.9 percent to 2.6 percent, Fitch reports that Qatar's diversified growth drivers and long-term energy export contracts will shield it from more severe global shocks. Fitch revised Qatar's real GDP growth forecast for 2025 down to 2.6 percent, citing lower global energy prices and increased investor caution amid elevated international uncertainty. The updated figure is a slight reduction from the previously expected 2.9 percent but still represents a modest improvement over 2024's estimated 2.4 percent growth. Notably, Fitch remains more optimistic than the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which forecasts 2.4 percent growth for a second consecutive year. Analysts emphasises that the direct impact of recent US tariffs on Qatar will be minimal. Exports to the United States comprise just 1.5 percent of Qatar's total exports and less than 1 percent of GDP. Moreover, most of these exports are exempt from tariffs, resulting in an effective rate of just 6.4 percent well below the rates faced by many other MENA economies. 'We believe Qatar is largely insulated from weaker growth in key trading partners such as China, thanks to its reliance on long-term hydrocarbon export contracts,' Fitch analysts noted. This export model has proven resilient, limiting exposure to short-term global demand shocks. Instead, the downward revision stems primarily from anticipated softness in non-hydrocarbon sectors, particularly construction and real estate. Weaker energy revenues are expected to dampen both public and private investment, as lower oil and gas prices prompt a more cautious approach from investors. As a result, Fitch lowered its forecast for non-hydrocarbon growth from 3.8 percent to 3.4 percent. However, not all sectors are slowing. Manufacturing is projected to rebound in 2025 following a 2.2 percent contraction in 2024, and the financial sector is set to benefit from expected interest rate cuts. Fitch also pointed to signs of resilience in household consumption, supported by slowing inflation, rising wages, and population growth. 'Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data from early 2025 shows stronger non-hydrocarbon activity compared to Q1 2024, especially in manufacturing, services, and retail,' the report stated. 'This reinforces our view that these sectors will continue to support overall economic growth.' On the hydrocarbon side, growth is forecast to rise slightly from 0.6 percent in 2024 to 0.9 percent in 2025, supported by a 1.6 percent rebound in oil and gas output. The sector is expected to gain further momentum in 2026, with output projected to jump 5.2 percent as capacity expansions from the North Field come online. The data also shows that Qatar's external accounts remain strong. Although the current account surplus is expected to narrow from 17.4 percent of GDP in 2024 to 10 percent in 2025 due to lower hydrocarbon revenues, the surplus is still large enough to maintain confidence in the riyal's US dollar peg. In terms of monetary policy, Fitch forecasts that the Qatar Central Bank (QCB) will follow the US Federal Reserve in easing rates, but at a slightly more aggressive pace. The QCB is expected to cut policy rates by 120 basis points starting in July 2025, compared to 100 basis points anticipated by the Fed. Since October 2024, QCB rate cuts have consistently outpaced the Fed's by 5 basis points per move. Despite the challenges, Fitch Solutions underscores Qatar's relative economic resilience in the region. The report added, 'Strong fundamentals, long-term contracts in hydrocarbons, and targeted government spending will continue to provide a floor under growth.' © Dar Al Sharq Press, Printing and Distribution. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
