AWR Lloyd’s Strategy Symposium explores the GCC’s rise as a global capital hub
At a closed-door Strategy Symposium organized by AWR Lloyd, senior leaders from across the region explored the GCC’s rise as a global capital hub and how to drive value creation amid heightened global uncertainty.
The symposium convened senior investors, corporate leaders, policymakers, and sector specialists to examine the GCC’s role as an emerging ‘capital of capital’ and explore the future of investments and acquisitions.
The first session, titled ‘The GCC Nexus: Connecting Global Capital for Investment and M&A across Asia, the Middle East and Africa’ examined the GCC’s evolving role as a global capital hub and critical considerations for making investments in Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Panelists included a leader from a Gulf energy corporate, a founding partner of an Africa-focused private equity firm, and the president of a professional services firm.
The next session, ‘Realism and Resiliency: Sustainable Value and the Energy Transition’, focused on the challenges involved in formulating and implementing strategies which can deliver sustainable value growth to shareholders and stakeholders, and which are resilient to potential crises, shocks and extreme technological disruption.
Panelists for this session included the chairman of an Asian securities exchange commission, the chief analyst of a leading UK-based risk consultancy, the former CEO of an energy conglomerate, the former regional head of business development for one of Europe’s largest energy groups, and the managing director for India & West Asia of a major clean energy technology venture.
Both sessions were followed by discussion and interactive Q&A with the audience, featuring perspectives from investors, regulators, energy executives, and infrastructure specialists. “The GCC is already the undisputed global capital of sovereign wealth. We see real potential for the GCC to now build on this position to become a global hub also for family offices, private equity, hedge funds, crypto and other alternatives.”
Reflecting on the event, Alexander Wood, CEO of AWR Lloyd, said: “The GCC’s Asia and Africa connectivity, and increasingly favorable regulatory frameworks are key factors in this hypothesis. There may also be an opportunity to create a trans-regional network of exchanges for the emerging and frontier markets of the Eastern Hemisphere, with the Gulf as the pivotal hub. Most local exchanges across the hemisphere currently lack liquidity, transparency and depth.”
Mehdi Sethom, CEO of AWR Lloyd’s MENA business, added: “We were honored to convene such a high-level and constructive dialogue. The sessions emphasized the complexity and difficulties which GCC players face in making investments and acquisitions across the Middle East, Asia and Africa.”
Founded in Asia, AWR Lloyd specializes in strategy, corporate finance and mergers & acquisitions. The consultancy last year expanded into the Middle East through a partnership with Siraj Holdings, which formed the foundation for its office in Abu Dhabi.
“AWR Lloyd can advise public sector authorities, family offices, institutional investors and corporates on strategies related to investment trends and opportunities. We also have extensive experience advising on best practice investor relations programs and listing strategies,” said Wood.
