Topic: Banking Financial and Technical Efficiency – Research Paper Discussion

Guest Speaker: Dr Chithra Suresh

Podcaster: Fatema Al Bastaki, BES Board Secretary

Questions:

• How significant is the banking sector to the economy, and why does banking efficiency matter to different stakeholders?
• How has the GCC sector been performing and what are the key factors that influence its growth?
• How can we define and measure banking efficiency?
• What tools have been used to measure financial and technical efficiency?
• What are the key outcomes of the study and what advice do you have for researchers/regulators?

Podcaster: Fatema Al Bastaki, Board Secretary of Bahrain Economists Society.

Guest Speaker: Dr Helmi Hamdi

Questions:

• When was the starting point or the emergence of Fintech?
• What are the drivers of fintech, and what encouraged its quick implementation?
• Is Fintech seen as a disruption to the Banking sector or does it complement it and help it grow?
• Has Fintech enhanced financial inclusion within developing countries in specific?
• Where do we stand in terms of regulation of Fintech in Bahrain, are we adopting an active, passive or restrictive approach?

Society Website

This episode discusses the rise of startups in Bahrain and the initiatives available to support their growth. Our guest speaker reflects on her experience in starting up Telp Me and the key opportunities and challenges that she faced.

Speaker bio: Ameena Bucheeri is the Portfolio and Investor Relations Manager at Hope Ventures. She started her career by launching her startups TelpMe and Raed.

Podcaster: Fatema Al Bastaki, Board Secretary of Bahrain Economists Society.

Guest Speaker: Mohammed Ahmadi, Director of Investments at Tamkeen

Podcaster: Fatema Al Bastaki, Board Secretary of Bahrain Economists Society

Guest Speaker: Ali Lari, AIA, PMP , Development Director at Hassan Lari Group B.S.C.(c) & President of AIA Middle East

Podcaster: Fatema Al Bastaki, Board Secretary of Bahrain Economists Society

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The key discussion points are as follows:

1. Defining Urban Planning (for our economists and non-architects).
2. The economic and social factors that influence urban planning such as population.
3. Your opinion on restoring old houses and building - a dilemma of maintaining them for tourism (and hence economic growth) and restoring them for better use of space.
4. Your opinion on the concentration of certain industries/sectors in one area such as Hidd Investment Park, Diplomatic Area etc -  do the economic benefits outweigh the social cost?
5. Housing and Mazaya schemes in particular.

أبعاد الحزمة المالية في مملكة البحرين عام ٢٠٢١

The Bahrain Economists Society was founded in 1992 to develop a wider understanding and awareness. Through its events, the Bahrain Economists Society highlights the cultural role of economics in societal development.  

تأسست جمعية الاقتصاديين البحرينية في عام 1992 في مملكة البحرين. تهدف الجمعية الى ابراز الدور الحضاري لعلم الاقتصاد في التنمية الانسانية الشاملة، والمساهمة الايجابية مع مؤسسات الاقتصاد الوطني المختلفة، وتوطيد اواصر التعاون مع المؤسسات او الجمعيات الخليجية والعربية والدولية