EFG Hermes Holding, an impact-driven universal bank in Egypt and the leading investment bank franchise in Frontier Emerging Markets (FEM), kicked off its 16th annual One-on-One Conference today in Dubai under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance of the United Arab Emirates.

The conference, taking place today at Atlantis, The Palm hotel, will play host to a vast number of meetings with key executives and investors until its conclusion on 22 September 2022.

Headlined “Weathering Inflation – Finding Focus in FEM”, the One-on-One Conference continues to unlock unparalleled prospects for global institutional investors and active fund managers to gain insights on key trends influencing FEMs and to explore investment opportunities through one-on-one meetings with c-suite executives representing prominent equities across four continents. The conference witnesses the participation of 205 companies from 33 countries, in direct meetings with over 655 institutional investors and fund managers representing 270 international institutions.

“We’re excited to finally bring back the physical iteration of the One-on-One since the onset of Covid-19 under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. This year’s conference – our biggest and most highly anticipated one to date – comes at a riveting time for FEMs as the global economy stands in the face of ongoing challenges. While the world has certainly managed to weather the storm of the covid-19 aftermath, supply chain disruptions, paired with rising inflationary pressures that reached an all-time high, continue to dampen economic recovery. In light of this economic backdrop, our role has become more vital to act as a conduit for investments. We feel extremely committed to ensuring investors find localized growth stories across FEM,” said Karim Awad, EFG Hermes Holding’s Group Chief Executive Officer.

This year, presenting companies come from a broad range of industries including consumer-driven sectors, energy, banking, finance, healthcare, industrials, information communications technology, telecommunications, utilities, real estate, and many more.

“Our performance over the last few years has been remarkable, as we continue to witness FEM-wide expansions. EFG Hermes has managed to sustain its leading position in the markets in which it operates, and this enables us to help steer the region forward as we once again host what has grown to be the world’s largest annual forum dedicated to investing in FEMs. We continue to unlock unmatched prospects for institutional investors from all over the world, connecting them with business pioneers from some of the most attractive and promising markets in the region. We could not be prouder of this year’s tremendous turnout, and we look forward to continuing the tradition of our flagship conference in the years to come.” added Mohamed Ebeid, Co-CEO of the Investment Bank at EFG Hermes Holding.

Over the last two years, and in 2021 specifically, the GCC region witnessed a substantial uptick in activity, spurring investor confidence as financial stability risks remained at bay on the back of the continuous monetary and fiscal policy support, and the solid recovery in global economic activity following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. ECM activity in emerging markets began booming significantly, as the region witnessed substantial increase in IPOs, particularly in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Both countries have certainly proven to be promising investment landscapes, as they continue to make headlines with super offerings that contribute to bolstering economic growth and further diversifying regional investment prospects.

Since its inception, the EFG Hermes One-on-One Investor Conference has played an undeniable role in presenting global investors with the most attractive opportunities in the MENA region. This year, the conference’s main session will kick-off with a note from EFG Hermes Holding’s Group CEO Karim Awad, followed by an interview with the session’s main speaker, H.E. Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, member of the Executive Council of Dubai, member of the Board of Directors of the Investment Corporation of Dubai, Director General of the Dubai World Trade Centre Authority (DWTCA), Chairman of Dubai Financial Market, and board member at the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted by Simon Kitchen, MD, Head of Strategy at EFG Hermes Research.
During the conference, attendees will also get the chance to vote in ‘The Consensus for 2023’, the largest (and only live) research poll of FEM market investors and executives that provides key insights into trends and expectations for global markets in the near and medium term.