DMDF 2024 Explores Dynamics of Saudi Financial Market

A previous conference organized by the Saudi Financial Academy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A previous conference organized by the Saudi Financial Academy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

DMDF 2024 Explores Dynamics of Saudi Financial Market

A previous conference organized by the Saudi Financial Academy (Asharq Al-Awsat)
A previous conference organized by the Saudi Financial Academy (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Debt Markets and Financial Derivatives Forum (DMDF 2024), set to launch on Sunday in Riyadh, will focus on key principles aimed at exploring the dynamics of the Saudi financial market.
Organized by the Financial Academy, the forum will be held under the patronage of Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, Chairman of the Capital Market Authority and the Board of Trustees of the Financial Academy, with the participation of industry leaders, experts, and specialists from the financial securities sector.
The forum will examine emerging trends and insights from experts and CEOs in the financial sector, contributing to the mission of the Financial Academy, which aims to leverage its resources to provide high-level specialized services that align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.
Mana bin Mohammed Al-Khamsan, CEO of the Financial Academy, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the forum comes in parallel with the Kingdom’s ongoing advancements, driven by Vision 2030, which seeks to achieve exceptional results across all areas, particularly the economic sector, a cornerstone of the country’s development.
Key Focus Areas
According to Al-Khamsan, the forum will address several major topics in the financial sector, including strategic partnerships with local and international exchanges, such as collaborations with the Saudi Tadawul Group and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. It will also include partnerships with renowned international organizations like the CFA Institute and the International Capital Market Association (ICMA).
He added that a central focus will be on the debt and derivatives markets, which are expected to experience significant growth in the near future due to recent legal and regulatory reforms. These markets will play a crucial role in diversifying financing sources and improving liquidity.
The CEO of the Financial Academy also noted that the debt and derivatives markets in Saudi Arabia are experiencing rapid growth, and are expected to play a vital role in expanding funding sources and enhancing liquidity over the next few years.
Additionally, the official anticipated a rise in foreign investments in the Saudi financial market due to an improved regulatory environment and increased confidence among international investors.
Future Outlook
According to Al-Khamsan, the forum will shed light on these transformations through panel discussions and dialogues centered on future trends and challenges facing these markets. It will also present innovative solutions to keep pace with global financial market developments.
The forum aims to deliver measurable outcomes by tracking the impact of the Financial Academy’s initiatives on career development within the sector and fostering the principles of continuous professional training across the Kingdom’s financial industry, he underlined.
Al-Khamsan continued that the forum seeks to raise awareness and facilitate the exchange of expertise on modern financial instruments and risk management, while solidifying Saudi Arabia’s position as a leading investment destination regionally and globally. This will be achieved through collaboration with prestigious local and international entities such as the Saudi Tadawul Group, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, and the CFA Institute.

 

 



World Food Prices Ease Slightly in August

Truckers eat their lunch while blocking a street during a protest against the diesel price increase in Cali, Colombia, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP)
Truckers eat their lunch while blocking a street during a protest against the diesel price increase in Cali, Colombia, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP)
TT

World Food Prices Ease Slightly in August

Truckers eat their lunch while blocking a street during a protest against the diesel price increase in Cali, Colombia, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP)
Truckers eat their lunch while blocking a street during a protest against the diesel price increase in Cali, Colombia, on September 5, 2024. (Photo by JOAQUIN SARMIENTO / AFP)

The United Nations' world food price index eased slightly in August, data released on Friday showed, as lower prices for sugar, meat and cereals more than offset higher dairy and vegetable oil prices.

The price index, compiled by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to track the most globally traded food commodities, slipped to 120.7 points in August from a revised 121 in July, Reuters reported.

The FAO index hit a three-year low in February this year as food prices retreated from a record peak set in March 2022 following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The August value was 1.1% lower than its level a year ago and 24.7% below its peak from March 2022.

In a separate report, the FAO lowered its forecast for global cereal production in 2024 by 2.8 million metric tons to 2.851 billion tons, putting it almost on a par with the previous year's output.
The decrease largely reflects reduced prospects for coarse grain crops in the European Union, Mexico and Ukraine, thanks to hot and dry weather conditions.

The forecast for world cereal utilization in 2024/25 was lowered by 4.7 million tons versus July to 2.852 billion tons, reflecting a 0.2% increase from 2023/24.

The agency also cut its forecast for world cereal stocks at the close of seasons in 2025 by 4.5 million tons to 890 million.