Bahrain Bourse (BHB) has hosted a high-level strategic session with the Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB) to drive forward the kingdom’s newly unveiled Capital Market Development Plan 2026-2028, titled ‘Elevate’.
The session brought together top executives and representatives from Bahrain’s financial sector to map out the future of the capital markets ecosystem and unlock fresh avenues for institutional collaboration. The high-level engagement was attended by Bahrain Bourse chairman Yusuf Al Yusef and chief executive officer Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, alongside senior executives from BAB member institutions.
Delegates received a comprehensive briefing on the ‘Elevate’ roadmap from BHB Senior Director of Partnership Development, Sustainability and Communications Marwa Al Maskati. The three-year strategy focuses on diversifying market offerings, deepening liquidity, streamlining trading operations, and upgrading market infrastructure to align with global best practices.
The roadmap is engineered around five core objectives, which include advancing the domestic capital market ecosystem, delivering world-class stakeholder services, and strengthening global competitiveness.
Additionally, the plan seeks to foster greater regulatory agility to navigate dynamic market environments while expanding and diversifying investment opportunities both locally and regionally.
To achieve these goals, the ‘Elevate’ plan deploys five foundational strategic pillars. The first pillar focuses on equity and capital formation, which is specifically aimed at driving robust capital flows through a structured and expanded initial public offering (IPO) pipeline.
The second pillar serves as a trading operations catalyst by diversifying financial product suites and expanding market-making initiatives.
For its third pillar, the plan targets regulatory and corporate realignment designed to empower decision-making frameworks and enhance regulatory efficiencies.
The fourth pillar emphasises enhanced issuer and investor engagement to strengthen core market infrastructure and services, while the final pillar prioritises digital readiness by accelerating the adoption of advanced financial technologies across the entire market ecosystem.
Commenting on the launch, Shaikh Khalifa said that ‘Elevate’ outlines a clear and decisive roadmap for the market’s evolution.
“Through close collaboration with key stakeholders, including the Bahrain Association of Banks, we are working to create a more dynamic, innovative, and competitive marketplace that supports sustainable economic growth and enhances investment opportunities,” he added.
BAB CEO Zeeba Askar welcomed the bourse’s strategic vision, emphasising the banking community’s pivotal role in expanding market depth and anchoring investor trust.
“The banking sector plays an integral role in supporting the growth and development of Bahrain’s capital markets. The session provided valuable insights into the future direction of the market, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration with Bahrain Bourse,” Ms Askar added.
&uuid=(email))