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The Middle East is undergoing a “fundamental transformation” as global capital flows pivot towards new growth engines, with the region and Asia driving investment trends, according to the Middle East, North Africa and Türkiye (MENAT) chief of HSBC.
Selim Kervanci, chief executive of HSBC Bank MENAT, told the HSBC MENAT Future Forum in Dubai that “traditional financial centres are adapting to a world where the Middle East and Asia are driving rather than following global investment trends.”
The forum, attended by over 800 investors, regulators, and market participants, highlighted the region’s growing importance in the global investment landscape, particularly its strengthening ties with Asia.
“Public and private markets are reshaping investment and capital flows with the Middle East and Asia emerging as the new centre of gravity,” Mr Kervanci said, citing structural reforms and agile policymaking across the region.
He pointed to a $3 trillion capital spending spree across the GCC as a key factor recalibrating global investment. HSBC Global Research forecasts MENAT growth to accelerate to over 3.5 per cent this year, up from last year’s average, pushing MENAT GDP to nearly $4trn by end-2025.
“The question is no longer whether to invest in the region, but how to optimise exposure to its historic transformation,” said HSBC’s head of markets and securities services MENAT Nabeel Albloushi, noting robust primary market activity despite global slowdowns.
The three-day forum featured investor meetings and panel discussions on innovation, capital market development, and the role of artificial intelligence.
In a departure from previous years, the forum also explored opportunities in the burgeoning luxury consumer market and the UAE’s booming hedge fund industry. The luxury market is projected to reach over $20 billion by the end of the decade.
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