EGX Chairman Participates in CI Capital’s 3rd Annual MENA Investor Conference

Tuesday, 15 January 2019

The Egyptian Exchange’s Chairman, Mohamed Farid Saleh, participated in the CI Capital 3 rd
Annual MENA Investor Conference held for the period from the 13 th to the 23 rd of Jan 2019.
H.E. Dr Mostafa Madbouly, Egypt’s Prime Minister, participated in the opening with the
presence of a number of ministers and 250 Egyptians, Arabs and foreign investors representing
100 international and regional investment institutions with assets of about USD 5 trillion.  
During his participation, Mohamed Farid said that EGX indices have responded positively to the
economic reform program adopted by the government since mid-2016. The reform program
included the legislative, monetary and financial framework reforms, which contributed in
achieving a high stability levels in the macroeconomic indicators and in enhancing the role of
the private sector.
 
Farid pointed out that EGX saves no effort to develop and enhance the Egyptian capital market
from the perspective of a value chain in order to raise the market’s efficiency and
competitiveness through developing the demand side, supply side as well as improving the
trading environment.
 
Concerning the supply side, EGX extends its efforts to improve all what it offers to investors,
and enrich the quality of disclosures (Arabic and English). It also launched a new system to
improve communication and follow-up with potential companies for listing; this is parallel to
raising awareness about the role of stock exchanges as a long-term savings tool. It also
highlighted that EGX is not limited to the rich or the professionals to strengthen the demand
side.
 
In addition, EGX works to develop the trading environment by adding new products and
financial instruments that contribute in diversifying the investment options for all investors. The
latest activity is the market maker, which decision was issued in 2007.
 
Farid added, "We are working to improve communication with listed companies to improve
quality of disclosures. We have established a follow-up section and financial disclosure
department that coordinates with companies to meet investor needs”. Adding "The number of
companies that discloses in Arabic and English has jumped to 56 by the end of 2018 compared
to 23 in 2017".
 
EGX Chairman said that many workshops were organized between the listed companies
representatives, financial analysts, and research officials of the brokerage firms to consult on
the business model of these companies and to activate trading on those shares.
 
Farid added that EGX plans to establish a derivatives marker and commodity market as well as
the implementing new mechanisms, including the short selling.