We are actively monitoring recent developments in the Middle East and are assessing any potential implications for our upcoming event, including government guidance, and taking into account member firm policies around travel.
At present, operations remain business as usual, and the event is scheduled to proceed as planned. We will continue to keep the situation under close review and will advise you immediately should there be any change in status.
We appreciate your understanding and will provide further updates as necessary.
Overview
Agenda
Sponsors
Register
Overview
Following the success of the joint ICMA, ISDA & ISLA conference in Riyadh in 2025, we are delighted that ICMA & ISLA will be partnering on a one-day event and returning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), on 27 April 2026.
The Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and the Future Investment Initiative continue to drive remarkable growth in the country's financial markets and wider economy. Repo and securities lending are an integral part of creating a robust and liquid capital markets eco-system, with ICMA and ISLA playing an integral role in its development, working closely with local regulators, policy makers and firms on key legal, advocacy and regulatory reforms and developments, to further enhance liquidity and market diversification.
Following recent developments, including the publication of close out netting regulation and subsequent legal netting opinions, this one-day event will bring together key local stakeholders including regulators and the securities exchange, prominent regional financial institutions, and global market players, to provide an update on the growth of the SFT market in recent months, operational and infrastructure developments, Islamic repo and securities lending, as well as the Kingdom’s growth in the context of regional and global markets.
Admission: This in-person event is free to attend and open to ICMA members and interested market participants. Register now.
If you have any questions, please contact ICMA events.
| 09:00 | Arrival, Registration & Refreshments | |
| 09:45 | Welcome remarks
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| 10:00 | Opening Keynote Address | |
| 10:20 | Setting the Scene: The Growth & Evolution of Saudi Arabia's Securities Finance Market Not many jurisdictions have witnessed such rapid growth as seen in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Backed by a clear strategy, ambitious targets and a collaborative mindset, the Kingdom’s capital market has gone from strength to strength. With an up-to-the-minute view of the landscape, our expert panel will explore current market dynamics, and deep dive into the current state of the Saudi Arabian securities finance market. With a number of recent announcements including the loosening of Qualified Investor restrictions, and with key regulatory and legal developments still on the horizon, the need for the industry to coalesce should not be understated. Our panel will explore the key focus areas for the year ahead, ensuring the Kingdom’s markets continue to grow and attract global attention.
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| 11:20 | Networking Refreshment Break Kindly sponsored by: BNP Paribas |
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| 11:50 | Primary Markets in Focus: Fuelling the Ecosystem From primary supply to secondary liquidity, we will explore the Kingdom’s primary markets and the direct link between a robust primary issuance pipeline and the development of deep liquid secondary markets. The session will also discuss the mechanics, issuance trends, and regulatory evolution of Sukuk, including the increasing focus on Green Sukuk, which attract a broader, Shariah-compliant investor base. |
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| 12:20 | From Vision to Velocity: Accelerating KSA's Trade & Post-Trade Infrastructure Building on our scene-setting session, this focused discussion will shine a light on the fundamental aspects of a securities finance transaction and explore how the Kingdom has capitalised on operational, regulatory and technological advancements, to drive its market forward, and transition from ‘foundational build-out’ to ‘rapid scalability’. Our panellists will explore, amongst other things, the evolving and ever-growing bank and non-bank financial institutional landscape; new execution, clearing and agency models; collateral management in terms of bilateral verses triparty, as well as technological advancements such as automation which are driving efficiencies across the Kingdom’s trade and post trade ecosystem.
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| 13:20 | Networking lunch | |
| 14:20 | The Gateway to Growth: Understanding Islamic Securities Finance Join us for an in-depth discussion on how to reconcile the principles of Islamic finance with the fundamental needs of a modern capital market. The panel will address the considerations when aligning Sharia principles with global best practices in securities finance, while outlining why standardisation, across legal, regulation and technology, isn’t just a nice to have, but essential in scaling the market and attracting international liquidity. Discussion points will include the innovative Sharia-compliant structures being developed for lending, collateral, and Sukuk, as well as the progress being made by ISLA, ICMA and other associations in the development of standardised templates, legal documents and best practices.
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| 15:20 | Bridging the Gap: Scaling Liquidity & International Access in the MENAT Region The final session will bring together all the threads of the day, focusing on how Saudi Arabia, alongside the broader MENAT region, can solidify its position in the global capital market, and successfully attract international investment into its secondary market ecosystem. Our panel will the look at how recent initiatives and development driven by the EDAA and the Capital Market Authority, as well as similar bodies, are helping to funnel international investment through infrastructure and regulatory improvements, as well as how enhancements in post-trade efficiency, risk management, and the diversification of market instruments are appealing to a global audience. Panellists will also explore the value of international best practices as well as how trade associations can support onshore and offshore market participants through their networks, knowledge and advocacy efforts.
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| 16:05 | Breakout Sessions We are pleased to offer delegates the opportunity to join concurrent product-specific sessions which will deep dive into topical aspects of both repo and securities lending individually. Repo Workstream (ICMA) An opportunity to delve deeper into some key global repo market developments and their relevance for the region. As part of the session, we will take a closer look at the GMRA, the global standard for documenting repo transactions, and ICMA’s related legal work, but also focus on broader repo market dynamics, including digitalisation and key global regulatory themes, along with ICMA’s related initiatives.
An opportunity to understand the Global Master Securities Lending Agreement in more detail, as we look to demystify the legal framework that underpins the securities lending market. An opportunity to understand some of the key features of the document, including the close-out mechanics. We will also the recently published KSA netting opinion.
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| 17:15 | Event close |
Sponsor
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Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration. For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo. |
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BNP Paribas’ Securities Services business is a leading global custodian providing multi-asset post-trade and asset servicing solutions to buy-side and sell-side market participants, corporates and issuers. With a global reach covering 90+ markets, its custody network is one of the most extensive in the industry, enabling clients to maximise their investment opportunities worldwide. |
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Clearstream provides the trusted and innovative post-trade infrastructure for global financial markets, driving the leading securities and funds servicing ecosystems of tomorrow. As a truster leader, Clearstream offers a comprehensive range of solutions spanning securities issuance, settlement, custody, collateral management, lending and liquidity services. With more than 21 trillion euros assets under custody, Clearstream is one of the world's largest settlement and custody firms for domestic and international securities. Clearstream’s Pan-European CSD solution uniquely enables clients to settle nearly all European securities through a single account while covering the full asset-servicing value chain, including income processing, corporate actions and tax services. In line with its strategic initiative to connect global investors with emerging and dynamic markets in Middle East, Clearstream has joined forces with Edaa, the Saudi Securities Depository Company, to advance the local post-trade market’s infrastructure and boost market liquidity and efficiency. The collaboration leverages Clearstream’s global expertise to enhance the region’s infrastructure and roll out services such as collateral management, securities lending and borrowing, fund services and digital securities. |
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EquiLend is a global financial technology firm offering Trading, Post-Trade, Data & Analytics, RegTech and Platform Solutions for the securities finance industry. With offices in North America, EMEA and Asia-Pacific, EquiLend operates across various jurisdictions worldwide, adhering to the highest regulatory standards. The company is committed to excellence and innovation and is consistently recognized for its contributions to the industry. EquiLend is Great Place to Work Certified™ in the U.S., UK, Ireland and India and has been awarded Global Data Provider of the Year and Regulatory Solution of the Year in the Securities Finance Times Industry Excellence Awards 2025. |
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We aspire to be the world’s most exceptional financial institution, united by our shared values of partnership, client service, integrity, and excellence. Operating at the center of capital markets, we act as one firm, mobilizing our people, capital, and ideas to deliver superior results across our clients’ most complex challenges. For 156 years, Goldman Sachs has delivered world-class execution on a global scale across our leading Global Banking & Markets and Asset & Wealth Management businesses. |
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HSBC has provided Agency Securities Lending services for over 50 years, supporting multi-sector clients’ lending activities in more than 40 equities and fixed income markets across a diversified network of high credit counterparties. As one of the leading securities lending agents in the world, HSBC has played a pivotal role in helping to develop the securities lending markets in Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Qatar – with similar expansion initiatives underway in Asia and the Middle East. The HSBC Group has supported investment in the growth and development of Saudi Arabia for over 70 years. In partnership with SAB, the Group established HSBC Saudi Arabia – the first full-service, independent investment bank in the Kingdom under Capital Market Law. With a deep-rooted history and a tenured track record of market leadership, HSBC Saudi Arabia offers a comprehensive suite of institutionally focused products and services including Securities Services, Institutional Brokerage, Issuer Services, Debt Capital Market, Investment Banking Advisory and Project and Export Finance. As such, HSBC is uniquely positioned to connect international and domestic investors with opportunities unlocking through the Kingdom’s ambitious economic reform agenda. |
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Latham & Watkins is a leading global law firm that brings together exceptional legal talent in financial centers around the world to advise on complex transactions, litigation, and regulatory matters. The firm’s deep market and product knowledge, industry experience, vast scale, and commitment to innovation and excellence help clients navigate their most critical challenges and achieve their goals. |
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Capabilities That Drive Scalable End-to-End Solutions Optimizing the value of your financial resource is critical in generating enhanced alpha and driving out costs from your portfolio. Deploying a holistic and total portfolio strategy across the competing needs of this resource is foundational in securing optimal outcomes. Northern Trust’s Securities Finance offering provides a suite of integrated capabilities across Securities Lending & Borrowing, Financing & Liquidity and Collateral Solutions that allow you to drive greater portfolio optimization. |
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Pirum was founded in 2000 with the objective of automating the securities finance and collateral management industries. The Software as a Service (SaaS) platform has since become the industry gold-standard, globally, for automation and connectivity solutions. Today, the Pirum product suite, which uniquely covers pre- and post-trade as well as collateral management, is used and trusted by over 150 leading financial institutions around the world, covering both buy- and sell-side activities. Pirum delivers automation, operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, resilience, and reduced cost for its network of clients, who use Pirum’s solutions to connect, communicate, optimize and process their trades in global financial markets. By connecting market participants around the world, the Pirum dynamo sits at the heart of a complex multi-party financial markets eco-system, all the while increasing transparency and resilience, streamlining operations, and fostering collaboration. |
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Riyad Capital is a leading fully-fledged investment manager and the largest custodian in Saudi Arabia. Through its four business lines – asset and wealth management, brokerage, corporate investment banking, and securities services – the company offers end-to-end investment management solutions. As of September 2025, Riyad Capital managed over c. US$ 27.3 billion in assets under management and more than c. US$ 204 billion in assets under custody. The company was recognized among the Middle East’s top 5 asset managers for 2024 and 2025 by Forbes Middle East and received the Saudi Capital Market Award for Custodian of the Year 2024. |
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SNB Capital Company, a licensed entity by Capital Market Authority (CMA), is a leading regional financial institution with deep industry expertise across five business lines: Asset Management, Wealth Management, Securities, Investment Banking, and Principal Investments. SNB Capital is the leading broker in Saudi Arabia with a ~ 16% market share and the largest asset manager in the Kingdom with SAR 255 billion of assets under management as of Dec 2025. |
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