Day One of the 12th Annual MENA Investor Conference, hosted by Arqaam Capital in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX)
Day One of the 12th Annual MENA Investor Conference, hosted by Arqaam Capital in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), welcomed over 500 senior executives, institutional investors, policymakers, and regional corporates to the UAE capital. With more than USD 1 trillion in assets under management represented, discussions focused on how MENA is transitioning from a capital destination to a market shaper.
His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, officially opened the conference, affirming the UAE’s commitment to openness, financial sustainability, and values-based investment. He emphasized that transparency, inclusion, and international cooperation are critical pillars of the UAE’s economic model, principles reflected across the day’s sessions.
The agenda opened with a macroeconomic update that outlined how the GCC continues to navigate global uncertainty with relative strength. Structural reform, healthy fiscal positions, and a diversified investment base are reinforcing regional stability, even amid shifting global growth forecasts and rising trade frictions.
Sector-focused sessions followed, exploring how Abu Dhabi is deploying digital infrastructure, especially in AI and data centers, to support long-term energy, industrial, and investment strategies. Discussions on retail market participation underscored the importance of not just access, but trust, investor education, and consistent communication in building market engagement.
MENA’s growing fixed income market was another key theme, with panels highlighting sukuk standardization, corporate bond issuance, and the shift toward local currency products. While challenges remain in secondary market liquidity and pricing efficiency, momentum is clearly building. Meanwhile, IPO-focused sessions provided firsthand insights into the internal preparation, governance, and narrative-building required to list and perform successfully in today’s market.
The conference also featured over 400 one-on-one and group investor meetings as well as curated workshops, facilitating over 2,000 interactions between capital market participants.