Latest news with #AbuDhabiStockExchange
Zawya
30-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
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.
Khaleej Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Abu Dhabi shares witness highest overseas buying among GCC peers in first quarter
The Abu Dhabi Stock Exchange (ADX) witnessed the highest buying by foreign investors among GCC stock markets in the first quarter, a report showed. According to data from Kamco Invest, overseas investors bought $2.3 billion worth of shares on ADX, followed by Boursa Kuwait at $705.6 million. The Dubai Financial Market witnessed the third-highest buying, with $343 million worth of shares being purchased by foreign investors. Overall, foreign investors, including institutional and retail investors, were net buyers on GCC stock markets during Q1-2025, with net buying at $2.8 billion as compared to $3.0 billion during Q4-2024. 'The trend was positive at the start of the year with consecutive buying seen in the first two months followed by net selling during March-2025,' the report, written by Junaid Ansari, Kamco's Head of Investment Strategy & Research, and Vineetha K. Yeluri, Analyst, said. The top three were followed by the Saudi and Bahrain exchanges, with net buy transactions of $252.3 million and $23.2 million, respectively. Data for Qatar and Oman showed net selling at $421.0 million and $459.2 for Q1-2025. The monthly trend showed Boursa Kuwait witnessed consecutive buying by foreigners during the three months of the quarter. Conversely, Saudi Arabia and the UAE recorded net buying by foreign investors during the initial two months, which were succeeded by net sales in March 2025. Recently, Saudi Capital Market Authority (CMA) announced that foreigners can invest in Saudi-listed companies that own real estate in the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah. 'This move is aimed at attracting foreign capital and providing the necessary liquidity for current and future projects,' the authors wrote. Similarly, Qatar witnessed net buy trades by foreign investors during Jan-2025 followed by net sell trades during the remaining two months. On the other hand, Oman exchange witnessed net sales by foreign investors during the quarter. 'The Muscat Stock Exchange has announced new investment initiatives that involve collaboration with other market exchange platforms, aimed at enhancing liquidity sources across various markets to encourage increased local and international investments,' the report said. Some of the key factors that affected the flow of foreign money in the region included regional market trends, IPOs, geopolitical issues, economic health of the individual countries and crude oil prices. The quarterly trend in the equity market was skewed towards decliners as six out of seven exchanges reported declines during Q1-2025. The uncertainty related to US trade policies and a forecasted slowdown in the US economy affected investor sentiments in the region. The US government's consecutive announcements related to imposition of tariffs on US imports and the counter measures from its trading partners affected investor confidence in global economic growth. 'The seasonal selling pressure during the Eid Holidays also resulted in a decline in the market. As a result, local investors were net sellers during the quarter and these shares were grabbed by foreign investors resulting in a broad-based net buy trades by the latter,' the report said. In terms of m-o-m performance, net buying value by foreign investors peaked during February-2025 with aggregate monthly net buying at $2.4 billion. January registered net buying at $833.8 million, while March witnessed a decline with net selling at $518.4 million. 'Historical trend for trading by foreigners in GCC listed stocks showed declines merely in one quarter over the last five years. Foreigners bought the most stocks during Q1-2022 with net buy transactions of $11.0 billion, reflecting steep increase in buying mainly in Saudi Arabia and Qatar,' the report said. In the Saudi market, Saudi investors were net sellers during Q1-2025 at SAR 945.6 million as compared to SAR 4.2 billion in net selling during Q4-2024. However, Saudi Institutions were net buyers of Saudi stocks to the tune of SAR 102.8 million that was more than offset by net sell trades by Saudi retail investors at SAR 1.0 billion. On the other hand, buying was mostly seen in trades by non-GCC foreigners that bought SAR 2.4 billion in net buy trades during the quarter that was partially offset by net sell trades by GCC investors at SAR 1.5 billion. Trading by GCC investors (Excluding Bahrain due to unavailability of data) in GCC exchanges showed net selling during Q1-2025. During Q1-2025, net sell trades by GCC investors reached $482.3 million, reflecting a decline from the $505.3 million in net sell trades recorded in Q4-2024. Boursa Kuwait witnessed the biggest net buying by GCC investors during Q1-2025 at $56.9 million followed by Dubai exchanges at $12.4 million. On the other hand, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dabi, Qatar and Oman exchanges recorded net sales by GCC investors in Q1-2025 partially offsetting the overall buying by GCC investors.
