Saudi Tadawul Group successfully concludes this year's edition of the Capital Markets Forum in Hong Kong
Riyadh / Hong Kong - Saudi Tadawul Group (STG), in partnership with Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX), has successfully concluded this year's Capital Markets Forum (CMF) in Hong Kong. Held under the theme ' Powering Connections', the forum markedanother milestone in fostering connectivity and advancing globally integrated capital markets.
The event convened decision-makers, institutional investors, corporate leaders, and financial market experts from across the Middle East, East Asia, and beyond, reinforcing CMF's role as a global forum for exploring capital market innovation and enabling long-term sustainable growth. Attended by representatives from leading exchanges and financial experts, the forum also served as a crucial bridge to discuss major trends and challenges shaping the capital markets ecosystem.
During the forum, participants explored key themes shaping today's capital markets, including the evolving landscape of cross-border listings, the role of ETFs in enhancing market accessibility, and the growing importance of data infrastructure. Discussions also touched on the need to support institutional investor participation and foster greater regulatory harmonization across markets.
Commenting on the conclusion of the event, Mohammed Al Rumaih, CEO of Saudi Exchange, said: ' This year's forum marked another standout edition of CMF. The potential for deeper cross-border collaboration across regions has been on full display, and CMF has firmly established itself as a global gathering point for meaningful capital markets dialogue and is a key catalyst for driving more foreign direct investment into the Kingdom. As we move forward, we remain committed to improving access to financial markets, bridging economies, and sharing the energy and ambition of Saudi's capital market with others looking to tap into its growth story.'
Echoing this sentiment, Bonnie Y. Chan, CEO of HKEX, added: ' The CMF Hong Kong 2025 conference comes at an opportune time, following the recent momentum and vibrancy in Hong Kong's markets, attracting significant interest from global investors, including those from the Gulf region. This year's conference highlights growing synergy and potential between the Middle East, Mainland China, and Hong Kong, while fostering broader global investment and trade discussions among these regions. As Hong Kong continues to strengthen its role as a super connector, we at HKEX are committed to building infrastructure and collaborating on initiatives that offer Asian investors new ways to capitalize on the exciting opportunities of the Gulf region, driving two-way capital flows between Asia Pacific and the Middle East. '
This year's edition welcomed more than 500 attendees and featured the participation of 33 corporates and over 200 global investors. Underpinned by the desire to enhance cooperation between the Saudi Capital Market and HKEX, the forum also featured a corporate access roadshow, facilitating over 125 targeted meetings between issuers and investors.
During the event, Saudi Tadawul Group and its subsidiaries also made a number of announcements aimed at advancing Saudi's capital market, including:
The official listing of the Premia BOCHK Saudi Arabia Sukuk ETF on HKEX, marked by a ceremonial gong strike at the close of CMF Hong Kong. The ETF tracks the iBoxx Tadawul Saudi Arabia Government and Agencies Sukuk Index – co-owned and co-branded by STG and IHS Markit – and comprises a basket of Saudi government sukuk assets. Developed in collaboration with Premia Partners, the listing provides Asia-based investors with direct access to Saudi Arabia's growing debt capital market and highlights the increasing connectivity between Middle Eastern and East Asian capital markets.
WAMID (Tadawul Advanced Solutions Company), has partnered with UK-based analytics firm BMLL to launch a suite of white-labelled, cloud-based analytics tools for the Saudi market. The platform enables quant teams, analysts, and institutional investors to access deep historical order book data and run advanced models in a Python-native environment. This is the first solution in the region to offer this level of analytical depth, flexibility, and technical customization, supporting transparency, insight-led decision making, and the development of a more sophisticated market infrastructure.
WAMID (Tadawul Advanced Solutions Company), also announced a new partnership with MT Newswires to provide a fully integrated, real-time financial news service for Saudi Arabian and regional markets. The platform will deliver over 1,600 high-precision, ticker-tagged stories daily across equities, economics, energy, ESG, forex, and other key sectors, offering comprehensive, multi-asset class coverage across the United Sates; Europe, the Middle East and Africa; and the Asia-Pacific regions. This service is designed to empower investors, traders, and analysts with the timely insights they need to navigate dynamic global markets.
Please find the official CMF Hong Kong 2025 images and footage available for media and partner use here.
About Saudi Tadawul Group
Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Tadawul Group is a holding company with a portfolio of four integrated subsidiaries: the Saudi Exchange, one of the largest 10 stock exchanges in the world by market capitalization, the Securities Clearing Center Company (Muqassa), the Securities Depository Center Company (Edaa), and Tadawul Advanced Solutions Company (Wamid), an innovative applied technology services business. Saudi Tadawul Group was established as part of a continuous development program focused on enhancing the capital market and its infrastructure, attracting foreign investments, and diversifying the Saudi economy. The Group reinforces Saudi Arabia's position as an attractive global investment destination and the gateway to the MENA region.
Saudi Tadawul Group supports the development of an advanced capital market in Saudi Arabia; one of the pillars of the Financial Sector Development Program (FSDP), Saudi Vision 2030 realization program.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tahawul Tech
36 minutes ago
- Tahawul Tech
UAE takes lead in AI-driven digital transformation with Dynatrace's Observability vision
Philippe Deblois, Global VP, Solutions Engineering at Dynatrace, discusses the UAE's digital edge, the evolution of observability, and how AI is shaping the future of IT operations. With the UAE fast emerging as a global hub for digital innovation and AI integration, industry leaders are keenly investing in solutions that simplify complexity and drive performance across hybrid cloud environments. Dynatrace, a global leader in observability, is among the few vendors making deep inroads in the region by enabling enterprises to anticipate, automate, and accelerate their digital journeys. In this exclusive conversation, Philippe Deblois, Global Vice President, Solutions Engineering at Dynatrace, shares his top insights with on why the UAE is a magnet for next-gen digital projects, how observability is evolving into a business-critical strategy, and why AI isn't just a feature—but the foundation of the future. Interview Excerpts: Where do you see the UAE in terms of its digital transformation journey? What stands out to you most? The UAE is currently one of the most exciting places for digital transformation. There are numerous ongoing projects, and partnerships such as NVIDIA with G42 and Humane in Saudi Arabia are advancing the concept of AI factories. The Emirates are clearly leading this movement. At Dynatrace, we've seen this as a reason to significantly expand our presence—investing in resources, growing our team by 280%, and launching our own cloud instance in Abu Dhabi. We are the only observability vendor to do so. How is observability evolving from traditional monitoring to a full-scale business solution? Traditional monitoring was reactive—problem occurs, then you respond. Observability, on the other hand, is proactive. It helps prevent issues before they arise by enabling automation, auto-remediation, and performance optimisation. It spans across multi-cloud and hybrid environments and even integrates with AI agents—creating a comprehensive solution that supports modern digital systems. Can you explain observability in simple terms? Observability is essentially about visibility—understanding how systems perform and interact. It's designed to work across all systems, helping identify performance gaps and enabling automated optimisation and protection. What makes Dynatrace's observability platform unique in today's complex IT environments? What sets Dynatrace apart is our all-in-one platform approach. We developed our own backend architecture called Grail, which consolidates logs, traces, metrics, and business/security events into a single data layer. Additionally, AI is built into the core—not added on. 'We use what we call the 'power of three': causal AI, predictive AI, and generative AI. We're also exploring agentic AI for orchestrated communication between AI agents and systems.' Does managing such AI-powered systems require specialised manpower? Are users equipped to handle this? There's a global need to upskill for AI, no doubt. But with Dynatrace, users don't need to be AI experts. Our platform handles the complexity behind the scenes. Users only need to learn how to apply the insights to improve customer or business outcomes. Do you encounter resistance from traditional mindsets when advocating for observability and cloud adoption? Yes, we often do. While innovators grasp the need, some laggards still hesitate. But as businesses move away from three-tier applications toward microservices and cloud-native models, complexity increases. That's when they start seeing value in observability—especially when it helps them reduce friction and gain control during transformation. Which industries in the UAE are adopting observability solutions most rapidly? We've seen strong adoption in government, banking, and aviation. These sectors rely heavily on customer-facing applications, and any disruption directly impacts user experience. Companies are prioritising performance because customers today are vocal—especially on social media—and poor experience can harm reputation fast. What are your top tips for businesses aiming to stay competitive and resilient through observability? First, treat observability as essential—not optional. Modern IT environments are too complex to manage without it. Second, use observability to enhance security—identify vulnerabilities and prioritise fixes. Third, focus on business observability—understanding critical processes like account openings in banking can reveal operational inefficiencies and help improve customer satisfaction.
Zawya
44 minutes ago
- Zawya
Cigna Healthcare Middle East secures Category "A" health insurance license in Oman
Oman – Cigna Healthcare Middle East, a global health service company, has achieved a significant regulatory milestone in Oman, securing a Category 'A' health insurance license from the Financial Services Authority (FSA). The license authorizes Cigna Healthcare to underwrite, manage and issue health insurance under the Sultanate's newly established 'Health Insurance ' framework. As the first international health insurer, and one of only a select few providers in the market, to be granted the coveted Category "A" health insurance license, the distinction places the business among the market's most trusted insurers, recognized by the FSA for meeting stringent regulatory, operational and service excellence standards. It also affirms Cigna Healthcare's strategic role in helping shape a more inclusive, high quality and trusted health insurance landscape in Oman. 'Being granted the Category 'A' license is more than a regulatory milestone – it's a powerful endorsement of our commitment to Oman, and our ability to deliver lasting value in Oman's transforming healthcare landscape,' said Raed Labaki, General Manager of Cigna Healthcare, Middle East (excluding UAE and KSA). ' As Oman accelerated healthcare reform to improve market stability and access to quality care, Cigna is proud to be part of this progress. Backed by global experience and deep local insights, we're ready to support the Sultanate's vision for a more sustainable, trusted and accessible healthcare system that meets the needs of individuals, businesses and the broader economy.' This milestone builds on Cigna Healthcare's deep-rooted presence in Oman, which began in 2017 with the acquisition of Zurich's regional health insurance portfolio. Since then, Cigna Healthcare has established a fully licensed branch in Muscat, built a strong local team, and introduced tailored health plans such as Cigna Choice to meet the specific needs of the Omani market. Through partnerships with trusted local players like MedNet and the rollout of digital tools, Cigna delivers fully compliant, end-to-end health and well-being solutions for multinational, regional, and local employers. Abdullah Amir Al Hatmi, Country Manager of Cigna Healthcare Middle East (Oman Branch) commented: 'We thank the Financial Services Authority for granting us this license. This achievement reinforces our commitment to contribute to a sustainable, trusted, and inclusive health system that meets the evolving needs of individuals, businesses, and the broader economy. We are ready to deliver Cigna's leading health insurance solutions and support national platforms like eDhamani to foster greater integration, transparency, and faster service delivery across insurers, providers and TPAs in the healthcare ecosystem.' As Oman's healthcare landscape evolves – with initiatives like the eDhamani digital health platform and the anticipated implementation of mandatory health coverage – Cigna remains committed to investing in Oman's healthcare future, and contributing to Oman's economic goals. About Cigna Healthcare Cigna Healthcare is a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their health and vitality. With a heritage of over 250 years, Cigna Healthcare is committed to its promise of being together all the way in providing health care, clinical management, and wellness programs to employers, individuals, and governments around the world. Operating for more than 19 years in the Middle East region, Cigna Healthcare serves the GCC markets and Lebanon through its locally regulated entities. The company delivers both health and wellness services to individuals, employers, and government entities in the region. With a deep-rooted understanding of the African market, a regional presence in Kenya and a dedicated claims team servicing over 250,000 members, Cigna Healthcare provides extensive coverage across the continent, ensuring access to health care solutions for local companies and multi-national corporations alike. [The coverage spans several countries, including but not limited to Morocco, Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zambia] Cigna Healthcare maintains a global sales capability in 30 countries and jurisdictions, employing over 72,000 people who service more than 164 million customer relationships. To learn more about Cigna Healthcare, visit
Khaleej Times
an hour ago
- Khaleej Times
Hajj 2025: Saudi boosts Makkah hospitality with over 300,000 licensed rooms
The number of licensed rooms in hospitality facilities in the city of Makkah has exceeded 300,000 rooms, Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism announced on Sunday. This increase marks a 41 per cent growth during the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024, reflecting the growing demand and the Ministry's ongoing efforts to enhance tourism infrastructure ahead of the Hajj season. As part of its preparations, the Ministry conducted more than 1,160 inspection and monitoring tours across hospitality facilities in Makkah. These inspections were aimed at ensuring the readiness of hotels and other accommodations to welcome pilgrims during the upcoming pilgrimage season. This growth in licensed capacity is closely tied to the Ministry's broader initiatives to elevate service quality, especially in anticipation of this year's Hajj. It can be noted that starting January 1 of this year, all hospitality establishments such as travel and tourism service providers in the Kingdom were ordered to remove any unlicensed or unauthorised facilities from their listings. This directive applies to both local and international booking platforms. The Ministry has also urged all hospitality operators to ensure they have obtained or renewed their licences before resuming business activities. Non-compliance with these regulations will result in severe penalties, including fines of up to 1 million riyals, potential closures of the establishments, or both. In some cases, violators could also face damage in reputation through "public shaming".
