Bahrain Bourse held recently the ‘Investor Relations Best Practice Guide Launch webinar, which gave an in-depth overview of Investor Relations Best Practices, and addressed how the nature of investor relations has changed and shared best practices for companies. This is in line with Bahrain Bourse’s aim to highlight the importance of the Investor Relations function and the effect of implementing investor relations best practices on the valuation and competitiveness of listed companies in the market.

The webinar brought together experienced investor relations and capital markets professionals including Andrew Tarbuck – Chair of the Middle East Investor Relations Association “MEIRA”, John Gollifer – General Manager at Middle East Investor Relations Association “MEIRA”, Nishit Lakhotia – Head of Research of  SICO, and Eline Hilal – Director of  Investor Relations, Insurance & Corporate Secretary at Alba. The event was attended by several MEIRA members and IR practitioners in Bahrain.

The panel shared recent and relevant case studies about issuers that have implemented the practice, recent developments of investor relations in the region, and discussed the impact of the IR role on fair market valuation. Additional topics include investor targeting and the use of management time for virtual investor meetings to budgeting and analyst calls.

Marwa Al-Maskati, Director of Marketing and Business Development, Bahrain Bourse & Board Member of Middle East Investor Relations Association “MEIRA” commented,

“We are facing uncertain and difficult times impacting the nature of IR communication, and the purpose of this event is to provide guidance and clarity for listed companies to structure effective IR programs and strategies. The event highlighted the importance of our investor relations best practice guide and how it supports to create a solid framework. 

She added, “It is absolutely crucial, especially now, to have in place long-term effective Investor Relations programs within listed companies to foster efficiency and enable transparency between all the parties including companies, investors, and analysts. We find intricacies within individual markets, but it’s important to note that the strong culture of providing information to the market, providing access to companies, and being consistently transparent will always remain the same.”

Andrew Tarbuck, Chair of the Middle East Investor Relations Association “MEIRA” stated, “ As the GCC markets join the ranks of other international markets, it is important that we share successful case studies that further prove how invaluable the  Investor Relations Guide can be. Events and discussions such as these reflect our ongoing efforts and commitment to effectively engage with the investment community. The nature of IR has changed and it is our role to make sure companies can navigate this new terrain by utilizing the IR Best Practice Guide and the other resources.”

Bahrain Bourse launched the Investor Relations Guide in collaboration with the Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) in late May 2021 to promote investor relations in the Kingdom’s capital market, provide a framework for listed companies, and enhance corporate governance and transparency.