Beltone Financial organizes Mena conference in Qatar

The Mena conference in Qatar will be addressed by HE Dr. Khaled Al Attiya, Minister of International Cooperation, Acting Minister of Business & Trade and Chairman of the Qatar Exchange, who will provide invaluable insights into Qatar's contribution to the region, underlining the commitment to commercial reform, domestic investment and economic growth.

Beltone Financial is one of the Mena region's leading Investment Banking firms, outranking every other investment bank in the Middle East for year-on-year growth since its establishment in Cairo in 2002.

Mr. Aladdin Saba, Chief Executive Officer of Beltone Financial, said the Mena conference in Qatar was an important event for investors from the United States, Europe and Middle East to meet with the heads of companies from the region. Each company attending the event will demonstrate that the fundamentals for long-term growth and profitability remain intact in the Middle East after the global slowdown of the last two years.

"Institutional portfolio managers understand the positive long-term fundamentals that are driving growth in the region," he said. "They are demonstrating confidence that earnings growth will remain some of the highest than in the world."

Mr.Aly El-Tahry, Chairman of Beltone Financial, said many business sectors in the Middle East are attracting investor interest into investments in financial services, construction and pharmaceuticals, and into the growing number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

"There is good reason for optimism. The young demographics and low labour costs are attracting quality global companies to set up industrial plants such as Airbus and Nissan into North Africa. In addition, high liquidity in several Middle East countries, improved corporate governance and rising consumer spending are compounding the positive investment factors," he said.

Mr. Andre Went, CEO of the Qatar Exchange, said:

"The Qatar Exchange is a strong local market that now aims to become the leading stock exchange in the GCC and a major player in the world. We believe this important conference will highlight the opportunities that are becoming apparent for investment through the Qatar Exchange."

The World Bank forecasts positive growth in the MENA region, which has a combined GDP of more than $1,500bn per annum. Increasing demand for consumer products by its young population and increased global trade are transforming the region's economic landscape.

The Mena conference in Qatar is the latest in a series of investment conferences organised by Beltone Financial. In 2008, Beltone Financial organised "First Egypt Day" at the New York Stock Exchange, followed by the "Future Trends" conference in London; both of which introduced investors to companies from Egypt, some of which also operate across the Mena region. In May 2009, Beltone Financial's "Mena First Day" conference at the New York Stock Exchange attracted investors representing funds worth over $1 trillion.