The Banking Executive - Decemebr 2021, Issue 156

the BANKING EXECUTIVE 18 ISSUE 156 DECEMBER 2021 The World Union of Arab Bankers (WUAB) organized on the 15th of April, 2021 the “First Banking Exec- utive Online Conference 2021” via visual communication technology. The Conference which serves as a platform of communication among active people in the field, was at- tended by more than 120 partici- pants from Arab Banks, financial institutions, Arab banking and finan- cial organizations, unions and NGOs, as well as diplomatic, gov- ernmental and political personnel. Among the prominent participants were Dr. Joseph Torbey, Chairman, World Union of Arab Bankers, and Chairman of the Executive Commit- tee, Union of Arab Banks, Mr. Adnan Ahmed Yousif, Chairman of Bahrain Association of Banks, Mr. Mohamed El-Etreby, Federation of Egyptian Banks (FEB), H.E. Mr. Marwan Hamadeh, H.E Ms. Kholoud M. Saqqaf, CEO, Social Security Invest- ment Fund –Jordan, H.E. Dr. Imad Boukhamseen, Board Member at the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), H.E. Dr. Mohammed Ben Omar, Secretary- General of the Arab organization of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) CONFERENCE OVERVIEW I. The State of the World Economy A stronger starting point for the 2021–22 forecast . Multiple vaccine approvals and the launch of vaccination in some coun- tries in December have raised hopes of an eventual end to the pandemic. Three questions. These develop- ments raise three interrelated ques- tions for the global outlook. 1. How will restrictions needed to curb transmission affect activity in the near term before vaccines begin delivering effective society- wide protection? 2. How will vaccine-rollout expecta- tions and policy support affect ac- tivity? 3. How will financial conditions and commodity prices evolve? • Fiscal policy support set to boost THE FIRST BANKING EXECUTIVE ONLINE CONFERENCE 2021