MUSCAT, 1 March 2011 – Turning the spotlight on investment opportunities in the Arab Gulf region, the 2nd investor conference organised by BankMuscat got off to a fine start at the Bank’s headquarters. The 2-day BankMuscat Investor Conference 2011 with country specific focus on Oman and Saudi Arabia is attended by prominent foreign, regional and local institutional investors focused on secondary equity market. Representatives of private equity funds, portfolio managers and fund managers are also attending the event organised under the aegis of the Bank’s brokerage division in Oman and the investment banking subsidiary in Saudi Arabia, Muscat Securities House.
Seventeen leading companies from Oman and Saudi Arabia, most of them industry leaders in virtually every sector of the economy with successful track records, are showcased at the conference. In addition to well-known companies, less-known companies that offer prospective investment potential are also highlighted, providing an ideal platform to see and hear the unique diversity of these dynamic companies and learn more about investment opportunities emerging out of Oman and Saudi Arabia. The participating companies, in the presence of senior management teams, made presentations in one-to-one meetings, highlighting their growth strategies.
“Oman and Saudi Arabia have several dynamic and growing publicly-traded businesses. Importantly, there are many companies with less brand recognition that are hidden from investors, but with excellent investment potential if better understood. The conference offered a unique and efficient forum to broaden the financial community’s awareness of these companies and generated investor interest in value companies. BankMuscat is proud to take this initiative and feels gratified to play an active role in furthering the development of the capital markets in Oman and the region,” a senior official of BankMuscat said.
“The 17 companies showcased at the conference represented all key sectors. The one-to-one meetings proved rewarding as investors obtained relevant information critical to clients. Access to right information is a critical factor for success of investment business. The conference helped in building strong relationships between investors and companies,” the official added.
“The conference was a good opportunity for the participating companies to provide transparent and detailed information, thereby helping the investor community to benchmark them against other companies operating in the same field. The participation by leading investment and asset management companies helped to improve the perception on leading Omani and Saudi companies,” the official noted.