The Kuwait Banking Association (KBA) and the Asian Bankers Association (ABA) are jointly organizing the GCC–Asia Economic Forum: Banking, Investment and Digital Infrastructure on 14 October 2026, from 09:00 to 13:00, at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. Convened alongside the 2026 IMF–World Bank Annual Meetings, the invitation-only, high-level Forum will bring together senior government officials and leaders from banking, investment, finance and technology institutions across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Asia.
Among the senior figures currently included in the programme are H.E. Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC, H.E. Dr. Yaqoub Yousef Al-Refaei, Minister of Finance of the State of Kuwait, Hamad Abdulmohsen Al-Marzouq, Chairman of the Kuwait Banking Association, and Chartsiri Sophonpanich, President and Director of Bangkok Bank, among many other important business figures. Additional prominent bankers and financial-sector leaders from the GCC and Asia are currently finalizing their participation.
Supported by The Business Year and the Kuwait Business Council, the Forum is conceived as a closed-door, institution-led platform focused on practical GCC–Asia cooperation. The programme is being organized around three strategic pillars:
Pillar I: Core Banking & Balance-Sheet Partnerships
Exploring how GCC & Asian banks can strengthen cross-border banking cooperation through scalable balance-sheet partnerships, liquidity coordination, and aligned financing structures supporting trade and institutional growth
Pillar II: Cross-Border Investment, Capital Markets & Deal Flow
Examining how GCC and Asian institutions can translate strategic alignment into executable investment partnerships through co-investment platforms, capital markets connectivity, and sustainable transaction pipelines.
Pillar II: Cross-Border Investment, Capital Markets & Deal Flow
Examining how GCC and Asian institutions can translate strategic alignment into executable investment partnerships through co-investment platforms, capital markets connectivity, and sustainable transaction pipelines
As the GCC–Asia Economic Forum is an invitation-only event, qualified senior officials and banking executives interested in attending are encouraged to contact the Asian Bankers Association regarding invitation availability at mig.moreno@aba.org.tw or +886 (2) 2760 1139.
AGENDA
(as of 21 September 2026)
09:00 – Registration & Arrival
09:30 – Opening Remarks & Keynote Speech: Hamad Abdulmohsen Al-Marzouq, Chairman, Kuwait Banking Association
09:35 – Keynote Speech:
(1) H.E. Jasem Mohamed Al-Budaiwi, Secretary General of the GCC
(2) H.E. Dr. Yaqoub Yousef Al-Refaei, Minister of Finance, State of Kuwait
10:00 – Pillar I: Core Banking & Balance-Sheet Partnerships
Exploring how GCC & Asian banks can strengthen cross-border banking cooperation through scalable balance-sheet partnerships, liquidity coordination, and aligned financing structures supporting trade and institutional growth.
Moderator: Vanessa Rameix, Regional Director, The Business Year
Speakers:
(1) Khalid AlShamlan, Group Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Finance House, Kuwait
(2) Abdulatif AlSeif, Chairman of the Board, The Saudi Investment Bank, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
(2) Chartsiri Sophonpanich, President and Director, Bangkok Bank, Thailand
10:55 – Pillar II: Cross-Border Investment, Capital Markets & Deal Flow
Examining how GCC and Asian institutions can translate strategic alignment into executable investment partnerships through co-investment platforms, capital markets connectivity, and sustainable transaction pipelines.
Moderator: Silvia Lambiase, Director of Strategic Patnerships, The Business Year
Speakers:
(1) Ali Khalil, CEO, Markaz, Kuwait
(2) Wajana Wongsupasawat, Managing Director, Kasikorn Asset Management, Thailand
(3) Wilson Yiming, Managing Director, China International Capital Corporation, China
11:40 Keynote Address: H.E. Deemah AlYahya, Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organization, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
11:50 – Pillar III: Digital, AI & Financial Infrastructure for Cross-Border Finance
Assessing the digital & infrastructure foundations required to support secure, interoperable, and AI-enabled financial connectivity between the GCC and Asia.
Moderator: Vanessa Rameix, Regional Director, The Business Year
Speakers:
(1) Sajit Vijayakumar, CEO, Infosys Finacle; India
(2) Jason Cao, CEO, Digital Finance Business Unit, Huawei, China
(3) Richard Budel, Chief Executive Officer, Beyon Connect, Bahrain
12:25 – Closing Remarks & Networking
13:00 – End
