SICO sees regional market recovery beyond 2009

SICO's market forecasts will be delivered at the International Investor Relations Conference, which SICO is sponsoring, and to be held on 30 April 2009 at the Ritz Carlton in Bahrain.

As a sponsor of the conference, organised by the Middle East Investor Relations Society, SICO and other capital market participants will be discussing a wide range of issues, focusing on the outlook of the region's capital markets and the role played by IR professionals.

SICO's Chief Operating Officer, Najla Al Shirawi, will be exploring the issue of whether 'faith should be restored in either banks or investors'.

Ms. Al Shirawi commented, "Although we are still mildly pessimistic about the region for 2009, we see a potentially dramatic recovery in regional markets beyond 2009 underpinned by oil price and financial stability recovery. The region is well placed in comparison to other economies to benefit from any broader financial recovery.

GCC governments have greater means and flexibility to boost domestic economies; while the region's commercial banking sector is generally healthier than more developed markets with less toxic assets on their balance sheets; and governments have been robust in their approach towards recapitalizing the banking sector.

"Investor relations is a crucial part of any efficient capital market structure and will play an important part in the recovery of the region's markets. As a young and dynamic region we need to invest more time and talent into transparency, and one channel is having a dedicated investor relations capability, especially in these challenging times. More than ever, investors want to see clearness from companies they are investing in, and the IR professional has an important role to play within the market in ensuring high quality information is available to investors and analysts, to enable them to make investment decisions. The competition for capital will only continue to increase. Those companies that can demonstrate to the market that they are transparent in their reporting and in their relationships with investors will be the companies that will be able to secure ongoing support from the capital markets."

Securities & Investment Company is a wholesale bank offering a selective range of investment banking services, including asset management, brokerage, corporate finance and market-making, on a regional basis and with a particular emphasis on Bahrain. SICO was incorporated in Bahrain in 1995 and holds a banking license from the Central Bank of Bahrain.

As of December 31st , 2008, SICO reported total assets of BD109m, with shareholders' equity of BD49.9m. SICO's shares have been listed on the Bahrain Stock Exchange since May 2003. Securities & Investment Company was the first 'closed' company to list on the exchange.