The conference, to be held at the Ritz Carlton in Manama, will gather 200 private bankers and wealth managers from the GCC region and abroad to discuss and debate the future of their industry in the light of global and regional changes. Rasheed Mohammed Al Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain will open the conference with a welcoming speech followed by a live interview. Euromoney Conferences will be interviewing him and others live on stage. Other speakers confirmed include Muwaffak Bibi, Chairman, Citi Private Bank Middle East; Stuart Crocker, Global Head of Private Banking Group, ADIB; Bruno Daher, Co-Chief Executive and Head of Private Banking for Middle East, Credit Suisse AG; Hans-Jürgen Koch, Head of Wealth Management, BNP Paribas Wealth Management and Asher Noor, Chief Financial Officer, Al Touq Group
“The global financial services industry is in the throes of generational change. Facing funding pressure from one side, client dissatisfaction from the other and regulatory scrutiny as never before, private banking and wealth management business globally will be deeply affected,” Richard Banks, Director of Private Banking for Euromoney Conferences, said.
“The Euromoney GCC Private Banking/Wealth Management Conference will explain how the wealth management business is going to change over the next five years and what this means for the industry in the GCC”.
“It is encouraging that we have been able to deliver, in partnership with Euromoney, the first GCC Private Banking Conference. As the largest financial centre in the region we have clear stake in sustained growth and effective regulation for the private banking sector,” Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive at the Bahrain Economic Development Board said.
“Internationally, the industry is facing significant global challenges, but regionally it should be in a strong position to adapt and take advantage of new opportunities as they emerge. The chance to generate debate and discussion about the way ahead is essential to delivering effectively on this objective. This conference promises to be a thought-provoking and productive event for all involved,” he added.
The conference will centre around three key questions i.e. how will global regulatory coordination and scrutiny affect GCC clients; how will the seismic changes in banking globally change the private banking model and how can risk and return be managed in an economic environment of chronic uncertainty?