Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing (0388) announced on Thursday the appointment of Jalal Almarhoon as managing director and chief regional representative for the Middle East, marking a move to strengthen capital market connectivity between Hong Kong and the Middle East.
In his new role, Almarhoon will lead the bourse operator's engagement in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East, overseeing HKEX‑wide initiatives spanning primary and secondary markets, promoting it as a listing venue of choice for issuers in the region, and managing HKEX's relationships with key investors and stakeholders in the region.
Based in HKEX's recently opened Riyadh office, Almarhoon joined the exchange on February 10. He reports to Johnson Chui King-wai, HKEX head of global issuer services.
"With over 20 years of financial markets experience across the Gulf, Jalal will play an important role as we grow our business," HKEX chief executive Bonnie Chan Yi-ting said.
Building on its on the ground presence in Riyadh, HKEX will continue to connect capital, issuers and investors across Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and the Middle East, she added.
Before joining HKEX, Almarhoon served as the managing director and head of strategic corporate coverage in Saudi Arabia at BNP Paribas.
Prior to this, he also spent nearly a decade at Société Générale in Saudi Arabia as head of corporate coverage and earlier held a range of senior roles at Standard Chartered.
