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The HSBC GCC Exchanges Conference held in London in June 2026 gathered more than 300 institutional investors, over 100 Middle East corporates and all seven GCC stock exchanges for more than 3,000 meetings, marking the largest such event in its five-year history. Georges Elhedery, Group CEO of HSBC Group PLC, opened the gathering where participants examined the resilience, agility and adaptability of GCC economies together with sectoral and asset diversification prospects. Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, CEO of the Bahrain Bourse, joined the programme as the bank sought to connect regional opportunities with global capital, according to an HSBC press release.
HSBC said in the press release that Bahrain’s sophisticated financial ecosystem, strong regulatory framework and dedication to capital market growth supply a long-term roadmap for investors facing complex geopolitical and market conditions. Joseph Ghorayeb, CEO and Head of Banking for Bahrain at HSBC, noted that the Bahrain Bourse’s Elevate strategy advances market liquidity, widens investment choices and strengthens ties with global investors. The initiative focuses on broadening the IPO pipeline, launching fresh investment products and upgrading digital market infrastructure to support sustainable expansion and wider participation, Ghorayeb added in the release.
Conversations during the conference showed businesses and policymakers accelerating efforts to embed flexibility across supply chains, funding models and market access while prioritising technology and digital systems, the HSBC release reported. Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa stated that the HSBC forum delivers a key platform for direct engagement with leading international investors and for presenting the advancing capabilities of Bahrain’s capital market. Bahrain offers a compelling proposition through its robust regulatory environment, diversified economy and robust development pipeline, which the bourse CEO said would help raise market visibility, reinforce investor confidence and promote further growth of the capital market ecosystem.
HSBC has maintained a presence in Bahrain for more than 80 years, aiding the kingdom’s economic development, facilitating business expansion and contributing to a sustainable and future-oriented economy, the press release indicated. The bank functions as the largest custodian bank in Bahrain with extensive links to the country’s financial ecosystem and market infrastructure that connect local issuers and investors to international capital markets. Across the MENAT region HSBC held assets of USD83 billion as of December 31, 2025, while operating in nine countries including a stake in Saudi Awwal Bank, according to the release.
Bahrain Economic Development Board data shows the kingdom’s nominal GDP rose from USD13.2 billion in 2004 to USD47.1 billion in 2024, recording a compound annual growth rate of 6.6 percent that exceeded the global average of 4.7 percent. Financial services overtook oil as the leading contributor to real GDP, reaching 17.8 percent in the third quarter of 2025, as the economy expanded into manufacturing, logistics, information and communication technology and tourism. Bahrain targets 20 percent of GDP from the digital economy by 2030, supported by 100 percent internet penetration and world-class ICT infrastructure, the board’s factsheet stated.
A Boston Consulting Group assessment placed GCC assets under management at USD2.7 trillion in 2025 after 10 percent annual growth, with retail assets expanding 14 percent compared with 9 percent for institutional assets. Fitch Ratings projected the GCC debt capital market would surpass USD1.25 trillion during 2026 on the back of cross-sector diversification, refinancing needs and government projects. State Street Global Advisors data indicated combined GCC equity market capitalisation now exceeds USD700 billion while the region’s weighting in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index has risen to 5.4 percent, up nearly fourfold over the past decade.
P&S Intelligence forecasts the GCC private equity market, valued at USD4.5 billion in 2025, will expand at a 6.5 percent compound annual growth rate to reach USD6.9 billion by 2032. Bahrain Bourse’s Capital Market Development Plan 2026-2028 under the Elevate banner combines exchange-focused and market-focused measures to draw a broader investor base and diversify available investment choices. The strategy aligns with Bahrain’s longstanding shift away from oil dependence that began in the late 1960s and continues to emphasise digital transformation and regulatory innovation.
