As noted in the ninth annual Hong Kong Private Wealth Management report, one of the key opportunities for Hong Kong’s private wealth management industry to grow further is to explore markets such as the Middle East, an increasingly attractive destination for investors. We recently co-hosted a training session with FTSE Russell, on “Seeking Diversification – Investment in the Middle East Markets”, where industry leaders including Tony Wong from CSOP Asset Management, Angelina Lai from St. James’s Place Wealth Management, and market experts from FTSE Russell Miko Huang, Sian Wei and Tianchu Jia from CITICS , with Zhu Liu as moderator shared their views on recent developments and available opportunities in the region.

Key takeaways from the session include:
– An overview of investment initiatives in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, primarily Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Abu Dhabi.
– Insights into how GCC countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, the largest economy in the Middle East, attracts foreign investments through cultural and diversity changes, government initiatives, and global social events.
– Perspectives on the current geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, as well as the impact on rising oil prices due to higher taxes and tariffs.
– Two-way exchanges between Saudi Arabia and China & Hong Kong, including the recent launch of two ETFs investing in Hong Kong listed on the Saudi Exchange, one of which has already become the largest and most liquid ETF in the Middle East.
– How Hong Kong’s extensive financial infrastructure and robust regulatory and legal systems attract Middle Eastern investors.

We’d like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to The Executive Centre for providing the venue and generously sponsoring food and beverages for our networking session!