The world’s largest and most highly anticipated frontier and emerging markets investment conference to date, welcomed 1120 registered attendees including over 561 institutional investors and fund managers, representing 247 international financial institutions and 179 companies in numerous key sectors across 29 countries. The event hosted over 12,000 meetings between investors and C-suite level management from listed companies. Over the course of the conference, attendees delved into the key themes and strategies that are shaping investment decisions across frontier and emerging markets.

The conference in March came as emerging markets were slated to become key beneficiaries of the economic pickup seen toward the end of 2020. As a result, investors and asset managers assessed risk appetites and looked to give frontier market assets larger allocations of their portfolios. A weaker dollar and higher equity valuations in other markets served to accelerate appetite for frontier emerging stocks. The expectation was that global trade tensions would begin to ease, and that subsequent FDI inflows back into these markets would increase currency values and slash interest rates. The rollout of vaccination programs around the globe also increased risk appetite for investors, reversing over USD 90 billion in outflows from emerging market equities since the start of COVID-19 lockdowns in March of 2020.

The June 2020 conference came as the end of another unprecedented year was ending, investors readjusted their lenses to focus on the path forward and look to us for forward looking insights through the turbulence brought on by the covid-19 pandemic. Vaccine optimism kept investors bullish on emerging market stocks, with prospects of a vaccine breakthrough increasing risk appetite and reversing the more than USD 90 billon outflows from EM equities at the outset of COVID-19 lockdowns in March 2020. Moreover, EM stocks were expected to outperform stocks elsewhere in the second quarter of 2021 as a global economic rebound was expected on the back of the roll out of covid-19 vaccines.

The 2018 conference came on the heels of strong economic growth, favorable demographics, a growing consumer-driven middle class and advancing reform agendas enabling MENA and frontier emerging markets to gain considerable traction among investors in 2017, with year-to-date fund inflows at record highs in multiple geographies. Shifting dynamics for oil and the USD, weaker commodity prices and a pivot in Chinese-led growth and several regional policy reforms and political turbulences were among the key themes of discussed in 2018. The conference provided unmatched access and insights to investors and fund managers seeking to explore the region’s shifting benchmarks and identify investment plays.

The 2016 conference shaped up to be a particularly crucial meeting as we witnessed major global changes that had significant repercussions on the investment climate in the region. As the year 2015 drew to a close, we saw the continued rollout of new political and economic realities across the region, with new challenges bringing new opportunities. In Egypt, a new Central Bank of Egypt governor had just taken the helm and natural gas flows to industry improved substantially. Meanwhile, the outlook for the UAE and Kuwait was broadly positive, with the UAE’s diverse economy and Kuwait’s financial reserves helping both economies withstand the impact of lower oil prices. The EFG Hermes’ One on One Conference provided companies and investors with the perfect venue to discuss these new regional realities and explore compelling opportunities that went beyond oil and tapped into the core fundamentals of regional economies.