WELCOME TO BONDS, LOANS & SUKUK MIDDLE EAST 2023

6TH & 7TH JUNE | MADINAT JUMEIRAH CONFERENCE CENTRE, DUBAI

"The Middle East's largest corporate and investment banking event"

Are you active in the Middle East's capital markets? Do you want to expand your business in this space?

We are the no. 1 business meetings facilitator for the Middle East's capital markets. This is the annual meeting place for senior decision-makers from the Middle East's capital markets community. This in-person event will bring together 1,000+ leading governments, corporates, investors, banks, law firms, regulators and service providers in 1 location, and feature 70+ expert speakers.

Attendees use this unique gathering of Global capital markets leaders to re-connect with existing clients, build strong business relations with prospects and hear the market's financial leaders speak on how they are navigating the current economic climate/share their expectations for the year ahead.

NEW FEATURE IN 2023

In 2023, we are delighted to introduce ESG & Capital Markets Middle East. This new feature on Day 2 (7th June) is comprised of 5 key ESG & capital market panels and over 20 world class ESG-focused speakers.

This feature at Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East 2023 is open to all attendees and will deliver 3 unique benefits. It is the only gathering focused on ESG and sustainable finance solutions for the Middle East’s markets and the only event to:

Deliver solution-driven content on ESG finance focused on the Middle East's markets
Bring international sustainable finance leaders together with local financial markets to shape what ESG looks like in the region
Map out the journey for the Middle East's issuers to raise sustainable instruments in this new environment

ALL ENQUIRIES: email Marketing@GFCMediaGroup.com

HOW DO WE DELIVER A HIGH ROI FOR ATTENDEES?

MEETINGS & NETWORKING

WE ARE THE NO. 1 BUSINESS MEETINGS FACILITATOR FOR THE MIDDLE EAST'S CAPITAL MARKETS

No other event will gather senior decision-makers from all of your key capital markets clients & prospects together in 1 location, so that you can host countless meetings to accelerate deals/win new business in 1 place.

No other event will deliver as many high-quality business connections as a result of just 1 day out of the office. We attract the most important local & international stakeholders from across the Middle East so that you can expand business in these markets without the usual time and travel costs.

EXPERT MARKET INSIGHTS:

The Middle East's largest corporate and investment banking event is also complemented by an agenda of expert market insights provided by 70+ industry leading speakers, allowing attendees to hear how the region's local & international financial leaders are navigating the current economic climate/share expectations for the future and benchmark.

WE ARE THE ONLY EVENT TO:

Provide a bird's eye view of the Middle East's market for the local and international community
Bring public & private buyers & sellers together to conduct business, sign deals and shape future financing strategies
Deliver deal-driven content from regional & international market players
Bring international and local investors together with Middle Eastern issuers to define and analyse the roadmap for raising local capital in 2023
Connect recent issuers and corporates with the Middle East's financial institutions, government bodies and international players

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING:

PRE-ARRANGE MEETINGS: use the Bonds & Loans online platform to pre-arrange meetings with other attendees who have created accounts.
NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES: access 1,000+ of the Middle East's leading regional & international sovereigns, corporates, investors, banks, law firms & service providers in 1 location at 1 time.
ACCELERATE DEALS: senior decision-makers (93% director-level or above) from your capital markets clients attend to move deals along and institutionalise relationships with partners.
WIN NEW BUSINESS: your prospects proactively seek out new business partners at the event (50+ new business contacts made per attendee).
GAIN EXPERT MARKET INSIGHTS: understand how market leaders are dealing with current economic recessions, geopolitical conflict, high inflation and high energy costs, and the impact they are having on the Middle East’s capital markets.

2023 AGENDA

6th June 2023

09:00	C-Suite Roundtable: What are the funding strategies for region’s top-tier corporates in the year ahead? How much funding is needed to support growth and CAPEX? How much is up for refinancing? Bonds or Loans: What are companies’ financing strategies for 2023 given higher prices? How are they approaching debt vs. equity? How are companies’ financial strategies evolving amidst the volatile economic backdrop of rising inflation and interest rates? Are CIOs/CFOs preparing for potential economic downturns or uncertainty in the future? Session ends: 09:45
09:45	What is the macro-economic outlook for the region for 2023/24? How is rising global inflation and a slowing global economy impacting Middle Eastern economies? Has inflation peaked? Where and when will interest rates stabilise and how are Central Banks in the region responding? New oil equilibrium: Will oil prices continue to decline from their 2022 highs or will they rebound amidst the continuing war in Ukraine? What is the outlook for GDP growth across Middle Eastern economies? How does this compare globally vs. EM vs. the GCC? Speakers Head of Fixed Income Investments Head of Middle East and African Sovereigns Chief Economist and Head of Research Chief Executive Officer Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager, Global Sukuk and MENA Fixed Income Session ends: 10:30
10:30	Networking break Session ends: 11:00
11:00	Keynote Address Speaker Minister of Finance Session ends: 11:20
11:20	What is the cost of capital in the ‘new’ market environment? How to issue in volatile markets Bridging the price gap: Is there a misalignment between issuer and investors’ expectations for their returns on capital? How can this be resolved? Bonds vs. Loans: What financing options are issuers considering amidst uncertain market conditions? How does loan pricing compare to bond pricing? Will bond markets improve in 2023 or have issuers already embraced the loan market? How are top-tier banks adapting their funding strategies around cost of capital/deposits? Getting creative in a rising rate environment: How corporates can work with their banks to maximise their sources of liquidity (ECA, structured finance and sukuk) when launching new deals Speakers Deputy CEO, Head of Global Capital Markets & Loan Syndications Head of Leveraged & Acquisition Finance Vice President, Group Treasury Session ends: 12:05
12:05	MENA Fixed Income outlook for 2023/24: What is the credit outlook in MENA and how does this compare to global & EM? What is the outlook for the GCC in 2023/24? Global volatility vs. regional ‘safe haven’: How is market volatility being managed by investors? How will the region be further impacted by global economic factors? Global vs. EM vs. MENA: Where does Middle Eastern credit sit within a global investor’s portfolio? Which MENA geographies are they investing in? Speakers Functional Head of Emerging Markets Corporates Portfolio Manager, Head of Fixed Income Head of Debt Capital Markets, MENA Director - DCM Syndicate Session ends: 12:50
12:50	Syndicating loans in the ‘new’ normal: How and where are banks lending? What price and what structure? Regional vs. international: Are regional banks becoming more competitive over international banks? What is the appetite for international banks to lend in the Middle East and for what tenors? Finding investment opportunities: How and where can banks deploy capital? What are their expectations for their returns? What impact is a rise in the cost of funds having on margins and tenors? USD vs local currency: how and why are borrowers looking at dollar alternatives? Given recent volatility in the DCM space, what is the likelihood for the take out of various bridge financings? Speakers Managing Director, Head of Loan Syndicate & Distribution Senior Director, Origination, Investment Banking Managing Director, Loan Syndication Head of Loan Distribution Session ends: 13:35
13:40	Lunch Break Session ends: 14:45
14:30	Navigating bond and loans markets: How are banks and FIs funding themselves? Cost of funding: how are interest rates affecting FI funding strategies? How are they managing funding costs and optimising asset-liability management? In what ways are FIs diversifying their funding and tapping new liquidity pools? Capital management: how much is up for refinancing? IBOR Transition: how are FIs adapting to new benchmarks? Are they hedging or doing new issuances in SOFR and other reference rates? Are they rolling over existing debt? Speakers Managing Director, Head of Capital Markets, FIG, AME Senior Managing Director, Group Funding & Investor Relations Session ends: 15:15
15:30	Assessing the outlook for the IPO boom in the region How are global investors looking to participate in the region’s active equity markets? What can Middle Eastern institutions do to attract greater investment from outside the region? What are the steps for those looking to undertake a successful IPO? When, why and how should a company consider dual listing? What are the benefits compared to a single listing? What lessons can be learnt from previous success stories in the market and what opportunities are there post-IPO? Speaker Managing Director, Head of Advisory & Equity Capital MarketsF Session ends: 16:15
16:15	Opportunities and challenges for MENA corporates looking to Africa: How are African banks bridging the funding gap? Where are the opportunities for MENA corporates to invest in Africa? What tenors and size of tickets are available? What challenges and risks do MENA corporates face when financing projects in Africa? How can African banks bridge the gap between MENA corporates and potential investments in Africa. Which financing structures are they offering to facilitate more investment from MENA? Speaker Senior Relationship Manager, Corporate and Institutional Banking Session ends: 17:00
16:45	End of Day One Session ends: 00:00

7th June 2023

09:25	Day Two: ESG & Capital Markets Middle East 2023 Session ends: 13:15
09:30	Energy security vs. energy transition: What will ESG Capital Markets in the Middle East look like in the coming 30 years in order for net-zero by 2050 to be achievable? What is the ESG roadmap for energy-rich regions like the Middle East? How will the world transition whilst it seeks to secure its energy? How are institutions reconciling environmental and social considerations? Is there a contradiction between the two, given the ever-present need to ensure energy security? Session ends: 10:15
10:15	How are issuers & borrowers benefitting from ESG? Why should ESG be considered and what will it mean including and beyond the ’greenium’? What is the outlook for green bonds and other ESG instruments in the region? How much of a concern is greenwashing for companies embarking on a green transition? Case studies: what does a successful transition look like? Speakers Director, Sustainable Finance Head of Corporate Debt Capital Markets, Middle East and North Africa Managing Director, Head of Sustainable Bonds, EMEA & Americas Head of Debt Capital Markets Session ends: 11:00
11:00	Networking break Session ends: 11:45
11:45	What are investors looking for from issuers and borrowers in the Middle East? How can corporates demonstrate their sustainability credentials to attract investment? What is the investor view of the Middle East from an ESG perspective? What ESG metrics are they looking at in varying sectors? What do investors consider greenwashing and how can it be addressed? How do investors weigh up the O&G/commodity make-up of MENA’s economies vs. their requirements to invest sustainably? At what point does O&G become uninvestable? How are investors reconciling environmental and social considerations? Is there a contradiction between the two, given the ever-present need to ensure energy security? Speakers Managing Director, Head of Sustainable, Asset & Project Finance Head of Banking Head of Sustainable Finance, Capital Markets Session ends: 12:30
11:45	In what ways are banks adapting their lending strategies in-line with their rapidly shifting ESG policies? How can banks work with key clients to continue to support their commercial activities while hitting their internal ESG targets? How much does your portfolio emit: How are banks measuring how much carbon is in their portfolios? How does this impact the way they are lending? Session ends: 12:30
12:30	What do rising financial costs mean for the bankability of infrastructure projects in the region? How are interest rate hikes and rising inflation being managed in the project and infrastructure sector? PPPs, mini-perms, project bonds: What structures are now being favoured? Mega and Giga project financings in the region: How much investment is needed and what funding opportunities are there for investors? Speaker Partner, Project & Infrastructure Finance Session ends: 13:15
14:00	End of Day Two and Close of Conference Session ends: 00:00

WHY DOES YOUR INDUSTRY PARTICIPATE?

Regional Banks/DFIs

To institutionalise relationships and grow their revenue with existing clients
To return to the office with high quality new business contacts and leads
To meet the issuers and borrowers from across the continent in one trip
To develop investor relations and effectively communicate their bank’s highlights/investment propositions to appropriate, senior decision-makers that otherwise would not have been easily accessible or in one place at one time

International Banks/DFIs

To meet the most credible and reputable private and public issuers and borrowers from across the region
To accelerate deals with current partners
To establish high-quality business connections with prospects
To connect with multinational corporates interested in establishing/growing operations in their geographies

Regional Law Firms

To stand out from competitors and ensure that they are viewed as the top law firm in their geography
To hold meetings with international law firms who can bring them in as regional law firm partners on deals
To meet senior decision-makers from key local and international corporates, sovereigns, investors and banks with relevance to their deals in one location

International Law Firms

To promote their firm and ensure that they are viewed as the top international law firm partner by regional law firms working on important deals across the Middle East's capital markets
To win new business from their key target markets
To institutionalise relationships and grow their revenue with existing clients
To meet senior decision-makers from key local and international corporates, sovereigns, investors, banks & regional law firms in one location

Corporates & Sovereigns

To conduct face-to-face meetings with local and international FIs to discuss upcoming transactions and future financing strategies
To hear from and meet with other issuers and borrowers from across the region, sharing knowledge and experiences
To meet with government contemporaries to share strategies for the upcoming 6-12 months
To meet with local and international investors to discuss financing strategies and upcoming transactions

Investors

To conduct 1-2-1 meetings with senior decision-makers from Middle Eastern corporates, governments and financial institutions in one place
To hear from and meet with other local and international investors active across the region