Virtual event live streamed from Bahrain
29th - 30th March 2022
The Arab Savings Conference is an annual event promoting Financial Literacy and empowering the region to build their Household Savings. Hosted by Fintech Robos in the heart of the Arabian Gulf- Bahrain, as a free virtual event that can be attended across the globe.
The first Arab Household Savings Conference was held last year in Bahrain. The event, which drew a large number of global, regional, and local industry experts, painted a clear picture of how to go forward with the measures and changes needed to increase family savings and financial literacy in the region. It started with an overview of the region's socioeconomic difficulties and fiscal policies, then zoomed in on the scale and nature of those challenges and underlying trends and ended with strong statements about what can be done. The themes of action highlighted that over-reliance on governments, and increasing longevity makes fiscal systems unsustainable.
This year we continue this conversation with a wider variety of topics and a more focused debate in each session. To learn more about this year’s conference and sessions, go to the Agenda.
Thank you to our conference partners:
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Day 1
Mar 29 | 10:00 - 11:20 am (GMT+3)
Session 1 - The Role of Financial Literacy in Households’ Financial Decisions
Mar 29 | 11:30 - 12:30 pm (GMT+3)
Session 2 - Have Monetary Easing and Lower Interest Rates Hurt Savers?
Who benefits more from quantitative easing: savers or borrowers, the poor or the wealthy?
Mar 29 | 12:40 - 2:00 pm (GMT+3)
Session 3 - The Role of Governments in Protecting Workers from Income Shocks
Fatality, unemployment, and unprecedented economic disruptions can have a considerable long-term effect on household financial wellbeing. What socio-economic policies need to be in place to ease idiosyncratic shocks? How could governments help households recover and be protected against future economic shocks? How can governments accomplish a national social protection system that is shock responsive?
Mar 29 | 2:10 - 3:40 pm (GMT+3)
Session 4 - Digitizing Finance and Financial inclusion
Fintech tools around the world are offering a fresh approach to managing one’s money: helping people to make digital payments, monitor and analyse their spending patterns, or even build savings plans.
What progress are these making in achieving financial inclusion? How are they helping individuals have access to affordable financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way?
Day 2
Mar 30 | 10:00 - 11:20 am (GMT+3)
Session 5 - Towards Building a Regional Household Savings Index
What’s the personal savings rate in MENA and how should it trend in the long-term? How much does the average citizen have in savings? Which countries have the highest and lowest savings rates in the region? How do we go about building a regional household savings Index? How should we harness savings policies to serve the growth of national economy?
Mar 30 | 11:30 - 12:30 pm (GMT+3)
Session 6 - How to Build a Successful Investment Portfolio
This is an opportunity to look under the bonnet at the critical elements for successful long-term investing. Panelists will take you through the key principles of portfolio construction and management, including asset allocation, portfolio risk levels and governance, and how combining with factors you can control, such as reducing all-in management costs, builds a more robust long-term financial plan.
Mar 30 | 12:40 - 2:00 pm (GMT+3)
Session 7 - Wealth transfer: Multi-generational Wealth Planning
The “Great Wealth Transfer” is well and truly upon us, and the variety of issues surrounding everything from succession planning to generational friction on how to invest for future growth, or wealth preservation has been thrust into the mainstream.
Wealthy families in the region are dealing with many of the same issues as their counterparts in other parts of the world, in transferring wealth from one generation to the next and ensuring the needs are met across multiple stakeholders with different motivations. As such, it’s top of mind to many, and they are looking for solutions and advice.
* Timing is subject to change
Session 1 - The role of financial literacy in households’ risk taking and investment decisions.
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MODERATOR Noorhan Al Zan, CFA, Board Adviser |
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SPEAKER William Tohmé, Senior Regional Head, MENA, CFA Institute |
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SPEAKER Elena Miteva, Principal Economist, OECD |
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SPEAKER Yasmeen Al Saffar, Head of Financial Services, Bahrain EDB |
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SPEAKER Imane Benzarouel, Deputy to Executive Director, FMEF |
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Session 2 - Are Monetary Easing and Lower Interest Rates Hurting Savers?
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MODERATOR Han Yik, Managing Partner, Strategic Focus Investments |
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SPEAKER Anthony Scaramucci, Founder & Managing Partner, Skybridge |
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SPEAKER Sharmila Whelan, Deputy Chief Economist, Aletheia Capital |
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SPEAKER Ramzi Khleif, GM, MENA, StashAway |
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Session 3 - The Role of Governments in Protecting Workers from Income Shocks
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MODERATOR Sara Buraik, Senior Journalist and Political Analyst, Bahrain International TV |
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SPEAKER Ahmed Al-Hayeki, Assistant Undersecretary, Ministry of Labour & Social Development |
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SPEAKER AbdelKadir Al Shehabi, Chairman, General Federation of Bahrain Trade Unions |
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SPEAKER Anush Bezhanyan, Regional Manager, Social Protection & Jobs, MENA, World Bank |
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SPEAKER Salma AbdulRahman AlSayed, Executive Director of IT Directory, SIO |
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Session 4 - Digitizing Finance and Financial Inclusion
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MODERATOR Sara Buraik, Senior Journalist and Political Analyst, Bahrain International TV |
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SPEAKER Sajeev Nair, Senior Executive Officer for Zurich Workplace Solution |
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SPEAKER Mohamed Wassim Khayyata, CEO, Al Maryah Community Bank |
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SPEAKER Mohammed Murad, Financial Planning Specialist, AHR Private Wealth |
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SPEAKER Hamad Salmeen, Assistant Manager, Business Development & Services, The Benefit Company |
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Session 5 - Towards Building a Regional Household Savings Index
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MODERATOR Ebrahim K Ebrahim, CEO, Fintech Robos for Savings & Pensions Apps |
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SPEAKER Dr. Jarmo Kotilaine, Chief Economist, GCC markets |
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SPEAKER Natalie Westerbarkey, Head of EU Public Policy, Fidelity International |
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SPEAKER Khoula Kenzari, Consultant, GLG |
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SPEAKER Dr. Jaffar Al-Sayegh, Bahrain Economists Society |
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Session 6 - How to build a successful investment portfolio
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MODERATOR Ebrahim K Ebrahim, CEO, Fintech Robos for Savings & Pensions Apps |
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SPEAKER Raphael Sobotka, Head Of Multi-Asset Flexible, Risk Premia and Retirement Solutions, Amundi. |
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SPEAKER Altaf Kassam, EMEA Head of Investment Strategy & Research, SSGA |
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SPEAKER Steve Cronin, Founder & CEO, Deadsimplesaving |
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Session 7 - Wealth transfer: Multi-generational wealth planning
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MODERATOR Nigel Sillitoe, CEO, Insight Discovery |
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SPEAKER Mohamed Seghir, CEO, Hayah Insurance |
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SPEAKER Mohammed Azab, Head of Private Banking, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank |
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SPEAKER Richard Canwell, Client Relationship Director & Partner, GSB Capital Ltd |
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SPEAKER Antoine Yazbek, Investment Manager |
