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ON-DEMAND VIDEO RECORDINGS FROM THE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE AVAILABLE BELOW
1000+ Attendees | 100+ Expert Speakers | 500+ Sovereign, Corporate & FI Borrowers | 100+ Investors
As the region adjusts to the new normal, this event gathered 1000+ key players in Middle East's capital markets community and featured 100+ expert speakers. This was a fantastic opportunity to initiate an unlimited number of new business connections via our networking directory; hear first-hand how the rest of the market are navigating current challenges and opportunities; and check-in with your industry’s leaders.
Livestream Agenda
Creativity and adaptability in turbulent times: Raising capital through the pandemic
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 5:00am (Europe/London)
- Impact on trade flows and business
- Finance and risk: Adapting to the pandemic
- Approach to markets and capital raising
Moderator
Managing Director, Head of Leveraged & Acquisition Finance
Speaker
Deputy Chief Financial Officer
Successfully securing funding in times of crisis: Sovereign, corporate and FI perspectives
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 5:45am (Europe/London)
- Case studies: What are the key ingredients for a borrower to successfully close transactions in times of high volatility and market disruption?
- Accessing long term US dollar funding and broadening the investor base
- Debt management: How are issuers protect their ratings against downgrades?
Moderator
Global Head of Islamic Finance
Speakers
Senior Managing Director, Group Funding & Investor Relations
Deputy CEO, Head of Global Capital Markets & Loan Syndications
Senior Vice President, Treasury & Investor Relations
Principal
Head of Debt Capital Markets and Syndicate
A COVID-19-induced macroeconomic overview: How much of the pressure is cyclical (temporary) and how much is structural (and exposed pre-existing weakness in the system)?
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 6:30am (Europe/London)
- How much of the COVID crisis is structural and changed GCC economies forever? What does the make-up of the GCC economy look like post-COVID-19?
- Are supply chains being re-regionalised? How does this impact the GCC?
- Oil sustainability and global economic digitisation: How will structural changes to the economy impact business, infrastructure and trade-flow?
- The future for Dubai’s tourism, off-line retail and real estate markets: How do these sectors re-invent themselves and where do they fit into the future of Dubai’s economy?
Speaker
President
Governance, credit events and the broader impact on GCC market sentiment
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 7:00am (Europe/London)
- Key credit events over the past decade and lessons to take forward in the coming decade
- Evolution of liquidation system and bankruptcy regime evolution
- Credit events and the broader impact on market sentiment
- Pricing and access for sub-investment grade and less ESG-focused issuers
Moderator
Chief Economist
Speakers
Chief Investment Officer, Global Sukuk and MENA Fixed Income
Director, Family Office
Chief Executive Officer
Senior EM Research & Strategy
Partner
Economic fundamentals vs. market technical vs. ratings: Where do investors see long term value in the GCC credit markets?
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 7:45am (Europe/London)
- A fundamental question: Why has a slump in oil prices not impacted international investor appetite more significantly? How are investors analysing value and managing their portfolios?
- After the perfect (sovereign debt) storm: Is there sufficient liquidity left in the market for FI and corporate issuers?
- G for is governance: How much transparency is enough? How much will ongoing defaults and debt restructurings impact the trajectory of the GCC credit markets?
- Yield hungry but not that hungry: What would motivate investors to stomach GCC high yield credit?
Moderator
Head of Corporates, Middle East and Africa, Analytics
Speakers
Portfolio Manager, Emerging Markets Fixed Income
Portfolio Manager, Global Sukuk and MENA Fixed Income
Managing Director, Head of Fixed Income Research and Strategy
Senior Fund Manager, EM Corporates
EEMEA Credit Research Analyst
How are syndicated loan bankers balancing structure and liquidity to meet client pricing expectations
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 8:30am (Europe/London)
- To price-in flex or not to price-in: How are banks’ structuring and pricing loans?
- Corporate borrower expectations on providing collateral, structuring and pricing: How can the gap between borrower and lender expectations be bridged?
- What are banks’ approach to risk and supporting corporates? How has COVID-19 changed the priorities of lenders?
- What is the appetite to lend sector-by-sector? How much capacity do regional banks have? How much credit is available for mid-market borrowers?
- How are loans being priced? How much is DCM pricing being used as a benchmark/barometer? How will the interplay between loans and DCM play-out in the new normal post-COVID-19?
Moderator
Managing Director, Head of CEEMEA Loans & Leveraged Finance
Speakers
Managing Director, Head of Origination, Syndications, Debt Capital Markets – Loans & Bonds
Managing Director, Co-Head of Corporate Origination, Loan Capital Markets, EMEA
Head of Emerging Markets, Financial Institutions & Benelux - Loan Capital Markets EMEA
Managing Director, Head of Loan Syndicate & Distribution
Head of Debt Capital Markets
The ESG renaissance: Transitioning financing beyond SDG signatures
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 9:15am (Europe/London)
- What is driving the ESG mandate amongst GCC issuers and borrowers? Is it stakeholders or is it investors?
- How much more work is it for institutions to meet ESG criteria of investors? What are the first steps for institutions that are from less environmentally-friendly industries and sectors?
- Pricing, costs or PR: Does green and social finance offer a pricing advantage? How much extra cost is involved in ESG-linked financing? How much bigger is the pool of investors for ESG bonds?
- More incentives: What have governments done? What more can governments do to promote ESG finance in the region?
Moderator
Head of Sustainable Finance, EMEA
Speakers
Head of Debt Capital Markets
Head of Treasury & Capital Markets
Director, Debt Capital Markets, MENA
Director of Treasury
VP Thematic Credit
The GCC-Africa corridor: How to successfully access higher yields and new investment opportunities on the African continent
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 10:00am (Europe/London)
- Where and what are the opportunities for GCC companies on the African continent? What sectors are attracting investment appetite? How can lenders and companies take advantage of opportunities in these markets?
- Accessing government support: How are private players working with African states to access new markets and opportunities?
- Capitalising on trade flows: How can banks and companies work with African DFIs to leverage off trade activity between Africa and the GCC?
- Assessing GCC-Africa capital flows: How can African banks work with Middle Eastern and international lenders to facilitate market entry and increase inter-regional lending activity?
- Mitigating risk in a context of political instability: What credit insurance products are available for banks and companies looking to invest in Africa?
Moderator
Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking
Speakers
Chief Executive Officer
Senior Manager, Acquisitions & Project Finance
Managing Director, Global Loan Solutions
Head of Financial Risk & Treasury Projects
How are GCC banks navigating through an environment of low rates, low oil price and low GDP (and loan) growth?
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 10:45am (Europe/London)
- How has the triple-wave hit impacted banks’ liquidity? What are banks’ outlook for credit growth and NPLs?
- How are bank treasurers’ approaching ALM and fund raising in 2020-2021?
- What activities are banks prioritising for 2021?
- GCC or outside: Where are banks looking to deploy capital and investments?
- Outlook on forbearance and central bank policies vs. balance sheet transparency
Moderator
Head of MENA Debt Capital Markets
Speakers
Director, Emerging Markets Corporate Debt
Managing Director, Head of Research
Head of Treasury & Capital Markets
Senior Managing Director – Group Treasurer
Restructure, extend or refinance: As extensions expire, how will corporates manage upcoming repayment obligations?
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 11:30am (Europe/London)
- Should corporates restructure today with a one-time solution, extend for six months in the hope of improved credit conditions, or refinance in the syndicated loan market for the long term?
- What price: What is the cost of refinancing in today’s credit climate versus the all-in cost of delaying and waiting for 6 to 12 months?
- Restructure, extend or refinance: What is the best option, now, for whom?
- Looking into the crystal ball: What will the credit markets look like in 6 months? What are banks’ and investors’ outlook for regional credit and NPLs?
Moderator
Partner, Head of Banking & Finance (Middle East) and Global Head of Islamic Finance
Speakers
Group Chief Financial Officer
Head of Debt Capital Markets & Loan Syndication
Chief Financial Officer
Head of Treasury
Head of Loan Sales and Trading EMEA Capital Markets
Sovereign strategies: How are governments planning to finance their roads to recovery while maintaining their ratings?
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 12:15pm (Europe/London)
- Fiscal discipline versus subsidising growth: How have governments responded to COVID-19 and falling oil prices? How are they balancing monetary policy, fiscal stimulus, public debt and maintaining credit ratings?
- Budgets and funding: Have governments raised enough capital in 2020 to sustain and stimulate their economies? How will governments approach the capital markets?
- Ratings: Monetary and fiscal policy impacts, developing local capital markets and impact of dollar-peg
- Insatiable demand for credit until it dries up: How much more demand is there amongst investors for Middle East sovereign credit?
Moderator
Acting Head of Global Corporate Finance
Speakers
Vice-Minister of Finance for Fiscal Policies & Institutional Reforms
Resident Scholar
Managing Director, Head of Corporate Clients MEAT Region, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division
Functional Head of Emerging Markets Corporates
Structurally changed and adapted: How to manage oil and gas assets in a rapidly transitioning marketplace
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 13:00pm (Europe/London)
- What structural changes has the oil and gas markets experienced in the last 12 months? How do oil and gas companies adapt their finance and investments to adapt to these changes?
- For how long do CFOs expect oil prices to remain under pressure? What is the new equilibrium price that they are working towards when managing their investment plans?
- How much capital does the oil and gas sector s needing in the GCC? How much of it will come from external funding and the capital markets?
- From conventional energy and sustainable energy: How are oil and gas businesses adapting business to increasing demand from investors to see more ESG integration?
Moderator
Partner
Speakers
Chief Financial Officer
Portfolio Manager
Executive Director, Oil & Gas Financing
Chief Financial Officer
Oil & Gas Equity Research
Closing keynote address: Economic aftershocks of the election: How the volatile U.S. election as well as spending, tax and trade policies will impact global markets in 2021 and beyond
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 13:45pm (Europe/London)
- What are the policies being talked about for 2021 and how will they impact markets?
- US economic trajectory: What does this mean for the global economic trajectory?
- What is the outlook for emerging market economies and financial markets?
Speaker
Chairman
Close of Day one
Tue 8th Dec 2020, 14:30pm (Europe/London)
The opportunities of the Abraham Accords: Kickstarting business and investment flows between the UAE and Israel
Wed 9th Dec 2020, 6:00am (Europe/London)
- A two-way bridge: What sectors will dominate Israeli-UAE business and investments? Where are the greatest opportunities, and at what pace are they set to develop?
- How will cross-border investment be defined; what pools of capital have now been opened up?
- Beyond a destination: what is the potential for the UAE as a gateway to South East and East Asian investment and business opportunities?
Speaker
Venture Partner and Head of Gulf Region
What is the short, medium and long-term impact of Coronavirus on GCC real estate?
Wed 9th Dec 2020, 6:30am (Europe/London)
- Lockdown, work-from-home: Short term impact on demand, rents and tenancy agreements
- What are the medium and long-term trends for commercial real estate? Will demand ever return to 2019 levels?
- What is the medium and long-term outlook for residential real estate?
Moderator
Head of Real Estate Finance
Speakers
Group Treasurer & Director of Investments
Chief Executive Officer
Associate Partner
Chief Executive Officer
Leveraged finance and high yield bonds: How can the investor-borrower pricing-gap be bridged?
Wed 9th Dec 2020, 7:15am (Europe/London)
- What would motivate investors to buy GCC high yield bonds? What are the pricing expectations of borrowers and prospective issuers considering high yield and leveraged markets?
- Journeying to leveraged finance and high yield: What is the economic, financial and business case? What pricing should debut issuers be expecting?
- Sukuk and EM High Yield: Is sukuk a natural stepping stone for issuers ultimately targeting a high yield issuance?
- Leveraged loans: Who are the investors? What pool of liquidity are borrowers targeting? Is there a market for leveraged loans today?
Moderator
Chief Executive Officer
Speakers
Vice Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Vice President, Strategic Investments & Investor Relations
Investment Manager, Emerging Market Debt
Head of Investment Banking
How to anchor a RegS Sukuk in 2021: Which regional banks are ready to underwrite deals today?
Wed 9th Dec 2020, 8:00am (Europe/London)
- How much regional liquidity is there for sukuk investments? Which banks are looking to anchor deals?
- Supply or demand: Why wasn’t there more sukuk issuance in 2020?
- Is the introducing of green and sustainable bonds an opportunity for the sukuk market?
- Chicken and egg: Does sukuk issuance depend on the development of the secondary market, or will secondary trading only pick up when there is more sukuk to trade?
- GCC, Asia, Europe: What are investors criteria for anchoring deals?
Moderator
Partner, Head of Banking & Finance (Middle East) and Global Head of Islamic Finance
Speakers
Head of Fixed Income Investments
Business Development Lead, Primary Markets
Advisor to the CEO
COVID-19 and global economic digitisation: Opportunity or regional threat?
Wed 9th Dec 2020, 8:45am (Europe/London)
- Is COVID-19 a crisis for globalisation, or a boon for it? How are supply chains being re-organised?
- How will an increasingly digital global economy impact the economy, as well as the GCC and the needs of its cities?
- What will the new normal be for travel and working-from-home post-COVID-19?
- What are the potential implications for financial, business, logistics, and tourism hubs as the world opens up in 2021?
- How will governments ensure that economies can recover in a post-COVID-19 world?
Speaker
Global Economist
Close of conference
Wed 9th Dec 2020, 9:15am (Europe/London)
