Bahrain to host GCC Financial Forum2017

Manama, Feb. 12 (BNA): Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and Euromoney Conferences have announced a line-up of leading international and regional industry experts to speak at the sixth annual GCC Financial Forum. Finance Minister Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa will address the forum which will be hosted in the capital Manama on February 27-28 . More than 600 high-level delegates will participate and discuss how the GCC region will fund its future. The delegates will have the unique opportunity to participate in an open ‘town-hall’ session with Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) – in what has now become one of the well-established highlights of the annual forum. The speakers include Francis Fukuyama, world-renowned political commentator, futurist and author of The End of History and the Last Man, as well as Lord Adair Turner, chairman of the Institute for New Economic Thinking and former head of the UK’s financial regulator, the FSA. The forum audience will also hear from two of the regions’ leading banking CEOs: Adel A. El Labban, chief executive of Ahli United Bank (AUB) and Bassel Gamal, group chief executive of Qatar Islamic Bank (QIB). On the second day, interviews will be held with Mahmood Hashim Alkooheji, chief executive officer of Mumtalakat, and Chris Skinner, a well-known fintech commentator and author. Victoria Behn, Head of Middle East and Africa at Euromoney Conferences said: ‘As GCC countries seek to reduce their dependence on oil revenues and to diversify their economies, the region’s leaders are setting a new trajectory for the region’s future development. At the height of this pivotal phase, we are proud to host such a diverse and high-calibre line-up of speakers who will share their experience and expertise. We believe the presentations, keynote interviews and panel discussions will provide our participants with valuable insights and ideas to enable them to find real solutions to the current challenges they face.’