Complinet to host 2nd GCC Regulators' Summit in Bahrain

It will be held on February 19th and 20th at the Ritz-Carlton, Manama, Bahrain. The event is aimed at international and regional banks that understand the value of doing business and establishing offices in the Gulf.

Senior speakers from the main sponsors, the Central Bank of Bahrain, Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority, Bahrain Financial Services Development, FINRA, Arab Bank, Gulf International Bank, Gulf Finance House, will address delegates. Other sponsors and speakers include international law firms Freshfields, Baker Botts and DLA Piper, and professional services firm Ernst & Young. Other sponsors include the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC), the Dubai International Financial Centre, (DIFC), the Securities & Investment Institute, the University of Reading, Al Khaliji Bank and CRS.

The event will build on the momentum from last year's inaugural conference in Qatar, which was attended by more than 200 delegates. His Excellency Rasheed Al-Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, will officially open the event.

The conference will cover the following topics: regulatory standards, capital market regulations, Basel II, training and education, operational risk and money laundering, corporate governance and enforcement.

Jane Diplock, chair of the executive committee of the International Organisation of Securities Commissions and chair of the New Zealand Securities Commission, and David Rutledge, chief executive of the DMCC, will co-chair the conference.

The speakers include: Phillip Thorpe, chairman and chief executive of the QFCRA; Khalid Hamad, executive director of banking supervision at the Central Bank of Bahrain; Paul Andrews, vice president and deputy managing director, FINRA; Michael Matossian, global head of compliance at Arab Bank; Ian Johnston, managing director, DFSA, Al-Harith Sinclair, Partner, Head of Regulatory and Government Affairs for the Middle East, DLA Piper Middle East, Jan Babiak, MD Regulatory and Public Policy, Ernst & Young and much more.

Leas Bachatene, Managing Director for Complinet in Dubai, said: "This event is a great opportunity for compliance officers to build relationships with regulators and vice-versa. We are delighted to have so many of our sponsors from 2007 returning after such as a successful first event.

"It is a great opportunity once again for regional regulators to showcase their sophisticated regimes to overseas firms. This is also a key part of Complinet's strategy to help build a vibrant compliance community in the region."

Khalid Hamad, Executive Director, Banking Supervision, at the Central Bank of Bahrain, said the CBB was delighted to support an event focused on such regulatory issues as corporate governance and regulatory standards for the financial services industry.

"Maintaining the soundness of the financial system is at the very core of what we do at the CBB and we welcome this opportunity to share our experiences with our peers and the industry and to hear about their experiences."

Jane Dellar, Managing Director from the Bahrain Financial Services Development, said:

"We look forward to partnering with Complinet to host the 2nd GCC Regulators' Summit and to welcoming the region's regulators, financial authorities and institutions to Bahrain. The Gulf is playing an increasingly important role in the growth in global finance and regulation is central to this success. This summit provides senior industry executives with a unique platform to hear from all the leading regulators and to debate current regulatory and finance market developments."