BHBNewsLetter June 2020

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Issue 24 - JUNE 2020
BAHRAIN BOURSE ISSUES ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL AND
GOVERNANCE (ESG) VOLUNTARY REPORTING GUIDELINE FORLISTED COMPANIES
As part of Bahrain Bourse’s (BHB’s)
efforts to promote sustainability
and transparency in Bahrain’s
capital market, BHB announced
that it has issued Environmental
Social & Governance (ESG)
voluntary reporting guidelines for
listed companies. The voluntary
reporting guideline aims to
i n c r e a s e aw a r e n e s s a n d
understanding of the importance
and benefits of ESG reporting
and assist listed companies
to address ESG issues in
their reporting to meet the
requirements of institutional
investors for material ESG
information. While implementation
of the ESG guidelines is
voluntary, the ESG reporting
guidance encourages listed
companies to disclose a set of
32 ESG metrics and indicators
i n a l i g nme n t w i t h t h e
r e c omme nd at i on s o f t h e
Sustainable Stock Exchanges
(SSE) initiative and the World
Federation of Exchanges, Global
Reporting Initiatives (GRI)
standards, and the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals.
The guideline explains the key
regional and international drivers
for adoption of ESG reporting,
the importance of ESG reporting,
the ways to report on ESG, and
concludes with Bahrain Bourse’s
efforts in promoting sustainability.
It is worth mentioning that
Bahrain Bourse has officially
joined the United Nations Sus-
tainable Stock Exchanges (SSE)
initiative in February 2019 to
demonstrate its commitment
to promote sustainable and
transparent capital markets
in cooperation with listed
companies, investors, and other
stakeholders. Earlier this year,
Bahrain Bourse has deployed
a workshop on sustainability
to support listed companies’
sustainability reporting journey,
and assist companies to gain
a better understanding of the
importance of ESG disclosure
for me eting t he g rowing
investors’ demand for ESG
information. Bahrain Bourse has
also reported on its own ESG
performance for the first time
within its 2019 Annual Report.
Bahrain Bourse will also
provide the necessary resources to
support listed companies such as
providing regular trainings and
deploying customized group and
1-on-1 engagement sessions on
the business case of ESG, and
promoting responsible investment
practices among investors.
BAHRAIN BOURSE IN COOPERATION WITH MEIRA HOLD A WEBINAR ON
THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTOR COMMUNICATION DURING COVID-19
Bahrain Bourse in cooperation
with Middle East Investor
Relations Association “MEIRA”
held a webinar on the Importance
of Investor Communication on
17th May 2020, which is part of a
series of workshops Bahrain Bourse
is organizing with the aim of
encouraging the implementation
of best IR practices across listed
companies. The workshop
was attended by more than 40
representatives from listed
companies along with Middle
E a s t I nv e s t o r R e l a t i on s
Association “MEIRA” Bahrain
Chapter members. The webinar
began with outlining the impact
of COVID-19 on the market and
its operations, and the measures
that have been taken by Bahrain
Bourse to support stakeholders.
The webinar also highlighted
the effect of COVID-19 on the
sell/buy side including investors’
sentiments and the feedback
received from institutional
clients. The webinar concluded
with discussing the importance
of repor t i ng and t a k i ng
accountability to shareholders,
as well as the initiatives that can
be taken by listed companies to
communicate with stakeholders.
The webinar was moderated by
John Gollifer, General Manager
at MEIRA. Webinar speakers
included Abdulla Abdin, Senior
Director of Operations at
Bahrain Clear, Fadhel Makhlooq,
Chief Capital Markets Officer at
SICO B.S.C. (c), and Mohammad
Abdal, Chief Communications
Officer at Zain Group, Kuwait.
It is worth noting that Bahrain
Bourse and the Middle East
Investor Relations Association
(MEIRA) has officially launched
the MEIRA chapter in Bahrain
during April 2019 with the aim
of developing and enhancing best
practices in Investor Relations (IR)
across the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The founding members of
MEIRA chapter in Bahrain
include Aluminium Bahrain
(‘ALBA’), Bank ABC, Bahrain
Telecommunications Company
(‘Batelco’), Bahrain Bourse,
Ithmaar Holding, National Bank
of Bahrain, and SICO BSC (c).