7th Edition WIBC Capital Markets Summit Asia set to roll out ASEAN’s most comprehensive Capital Markets Programme
Singapore,:Middle East Global Advisors, a leading financial intelligence platform spearheading the development of knowledge-based economies in the MENASEA markets, will convene the seventh edition of the much-coveted WIBC Capital Markets Summit Asia (WIBC Asia 2019) on July 01st and 02nd in Singapore. Based on a strategic partnership with Singapore Exchange (SGX), the summit themed “Strengthening Investment Outlook through Robust Capital Markets” aims to roll out the ASEAN’s most comprehensive capital markets programme comprising of visionary keynote presentations, latest financial & investment outlook and Islamic finance focused tracks and will converge 200+ bankers, economists, bond issuers, SWFs, institutional investors & funds, among others, under one roof.
The Asia-Pacific region is forecast to account for relatively 60% of global infrastructure spending by 2025. To keep pace with the massive demand spurred by economic growth, US$ 26tn will be required by Asia’s infrastructure projects by 2030, which will equate to US$ 1.7tn a year. The Asian stock exchanges offer a wide range of products and services to domestic and international organizations, helping investors tap into the region’s strong debt and equity capital markets, fuelling economic growth.
Speaking ahead of WIBC Asia 2019, Ehsan Abbas, Chairman of Middle East Global Advisors, said: “The sophisticated capital market and financial infrastructure in the Asian region enables constructively channelling the capital to invest in the region’s growth potential. Across two power-packed days, WIBC Asia 2019 aims to take stock of advancements in the region’s capital markets, and identify the lucrative investment opportunities in the ASEAN region whilst supporting trade opportunities between GCC and Asian market.”
Organizations with high yield potential from real estate, infrastructure, technology, logistics, consumer, healthcare, energy and marine & offshore services among other high performing sectors in the ASEAN market will be present at the summit. The summit will feature pre-scheduled one-to-one private meetings between Investors and C-suite executives from select group of listed companies at SGX as well as mid-to-large cap companies from the ASEAN region, providing investors the opportunity to gain important industry & company information. For companies issuing their IPOs and planning to list/dual list, private meetings with selected investors are scheduled for driving investments.
The comprehensive programme at WIBC Asia 2019 will feature keynote addresses by leading industry experts Yaseen Anwar, Senior Adviser at Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Singapore & Former Governor, Central Bank of Pakistan, focusing on China’s Belt Road Initiative and by Richad Soundardjee, Chief Executive Officer, Société Générale Middle East deliberating on socially responsible investments. Other key highlights at the summit include panel discussions focusing on Global Asian Pivot versus GCC Pivot, Asian REITS as investment vehicle, GCC bonds from Asian investor’s view point & Factor investing, among other key topics and exclusive presentations on a wide range of topics including an outlook on fixed income trading by 2025.
Over 30 key industry powerhouses are expected to headline the summit. Confirmed speakers include: Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Islamic Bank; Dr. Michele Fiorentino, Chief Investment Officer, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); Todd Schubert, Managing Director & Head of Fixed Income Research, Bank of Singapore; Christian de Guzman, Vice President – Senior Credit Officer, Sovereign Risk Group, Moody’s Investors Service; Racha Alkhawaja, Group Chief Distribution & Development Officer, Emirates REIT – Equitativa Group; Hitesh Asarpota, Head of Debt Capital Markets, Emirates NBD Capital; Nupur Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, REITAS – REIT Association of Singapore & Roslan Ahmad, Chief Representative, DDGI Limited, among other distinguished speakers.
Speaking ahead of the event, Dr. Adnan Chilwan, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Islamic Bank, said, “Asia continues to be an important region for the global financial system driven by its strong growth over the past decade. The region’s leading business and economic competitiveness make it an attractive choice for international investments and capital flows, particularly those coming from the MENA region. Apart from being an important part of the world economy, the Islamic financial system is thriving more so than ever before as the region is also home to the largest Muslim population in the world. We, at Dubai Islamic Bank have already established ourselves in Asia, through Indonesia and Pakistan and will continue to be open to further investment and growth prospects in the coming years.”
As per statistics, in terms of M&A and financing, the deals across Asia were dominated by the real estate sector, a trend driven primarily by REITs, real estate private equity sponsors and deep-pocket private investors. Speaking ahead of moderating the panel on Asian REITS as an investment vehicle, Nupur Joshi, Chief Executive Officer, REITAS – REIT Association of Singapore, expressed, “The REIT Association of Singapore (REITAS) is pleased to be a supporter of WIBC Asia. Singapore’s S$100 bn REIT industry is characterized by high and stable yields averaging around 6.4%. The sector is transforming from a regional to an international REIT hub with 80% of S-REITs and property trusts now owning properties outside Singapore. A strong regulatory environment and supportive tax policies have resulted in a vibrant REIT ecosystem with an increasingly international investor base.”
Speaking ahead of the panel on Bridging the Global Asian Pivot, Todd Schubert, Managing Director & Head of Fixed Income Research, Bank of Singapore, said, “Over the past several years the WIBC has been an important platform for highlighting the burgeoning market for Islamic Finance in Asia. The conference also offers participants the unique opportunity to hear experts from the Middle East on how to develop the important linkages between the Middle East and Asia.”
The two-day forum will be chaired by Muhammad Ali Baig, Chief Financial Officer, Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq). Partners at WIBC Asia 2019 include The Perth Mint, Labuan IBFC, World Gold Council, Moody’s Investors Service & DDCAP.