RIYADH – Abdullah Alsuweilmy, CEO of the Saudi Stock Exchange (Tadawul) underlined the importance of investor relations (IR) in the development of capital markets. At the recent workshop held by Tadwul in partnership with Middle East Investor Relations Society (ME-IR Society) on the strategy and practice of investor relations for the Kingdom's listed companies and leading IR professionals, Alsuweilmy said such event “helps raise awareness of IR and the important role it plays in functioning capital markets. We hope to see more listed companies in Saudi Arabia increase their involvement in similar IR activities and continue their work in adopting international best practices.” Oliver Schutzmann, Chairman of the ME-IR Society's Education Committee and Head of Investor Relations of SHUAA Capital, said: “Investor Relations Officers are the future ambassadors of Corporate Saudi Arabia. Thanks to the progressive vision of Tadawul, we already see more companies within Saudi Arabia applying international best practice, disclosure and transparency standards and a growing recognition of investor relations as a strategic management function. Our joint education initiatives have been designed to ensure that investor relations officers representing Saudi Arabian companies to the global investment community have proficiency in the ethical and professional standards of the investor relations profession as well as specific knowledge to implement successful investor relations strategies.” Nader Nuwayhid, Head of Investor Relations at Mobily and a member of the ME-IR Society, added: “The ME-IR Society aims to provide increased levels of support to companies within the Kingdom through various education initiatives and networking events. In partnership with Tadawul, we believe this continuous effort will help to unlock the full potential of listed companies in the Kingdom, and contribute to the future success of Saudi capital markets overall.'' – SG
