Bahrain Financial Harbour Holding Company has announced its sponsorship for the upcoming 9th GCC Banking Conference to be held from March 24 to 25 in Manama.

The conference has been taking place over the last 15 years and is hosted by each of the GCC countries in rotation. This year it is Bahrain’s turn to host this important event, said the organisers.

The conference entitled 'A New Era in International Banking Practices: Implications for the GCC Markets,' is being organised by the Central Bank of Bahrain in co-operation with GCC Secretariat General under the patronage of Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa at the Ritz Carlton Hotel & Spa.

The conference topics will focus on the GCC legislative regulatory Industry and provide participants the opportunity to discuss with regulators and legislators the most significant issues and their impact on regional markets.

'The GCC Banking Conference will allow Bahrain to showcase its world-class infrastructure facilities as well as the incentives it offers, to investors and entrepreneurs from all over the World and we believe BFH is a prime example of Bahrain’s commitment to providing world class living and working facilities to local and international companies and their staff,'  said Dr Omar Al Mardi, managing director, BFH.

'We have been making concerted efforts to establish strong business alliances with leading companies from various countries, and our participation in this important conference comes within this broader strategy' Al Mardi noted.

'We are pleased to support the 9th GCC Banking Conference. We believe that conferences of such international repute and significance will further reinforce Bahrain's leading position as the region's financial hub,' he added.

The conference will feature two keynote speakers - Sir Howard Davies, director of the London School of Economics (LSE); and Dr Martin Feldstein, professor of Economics at Harvard University and President Emeritus of the National Bureau of Economics.

The high-profile financial forum will be attended by the governors of the GCC Central Banks and Monetary Agencies, heads of GCC Capital Markets, senior bankers from the region, as well representatives of the world's leading international financial institutions.

A New Era in International Banking Practices: Implications for the GCC Markets aims to provide a platform for participants to discuss the most pertinent challenges currently affecting the GCC financial markets, in addition to opportunities for growth, and to discuss overall industry trends within the global economy.-TradeArabia News Service