The Middle East’s Financial Markets Are Shifting. Communications Advisors Must Lead the Change, By Kim Polley
The Middle East’s financial markets are evolving fast, creating both opportunities and challenges for communications advisors. Unlike the UK, where private capital is becoming dominant, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is seeing a surge in public listings. In 2024, 53 IPOs raised $13.7 billion – up from $10.5 billion the previous year. Saudi Arabia is leading the charge, with 15 listings on the Tadawul and 27 on the Nomu parallel market.
At the same time, private capital is adjusting. Private equity investment in the region fell 26% in 2023 as investors grew more selective. Yet long-term confidence remains strong, with nearly 40% of investors at the Apex Invest Abu Dhabi conference expecting private capital activity to accelerate. This divergence – between a booming IPO market and a recalibrating private investment sector – means communications strategies must adapt.
For public companies, attracting investors is not just about financial performance. They must prove resilience, governance strength, and ESG commitment. For private capital, transparency is no longer optional. Investors expect clear strategies for value creation, not just deal-making.
Regulation is another pressure point. Middle Eastern financial authorities are modernising market rules at pace. Companies should not treat regulatory communications as a compliance exercise. Instead, they must engage early, shaping policy discussions and aligning with national economic goals.
Internally, companies also need to rethink their messaging. In the UK, the shift to private capital has reshaped the finance sector’s talent landscape. In the Middle East, where IPOs are more prominent, employees need to see beyond the initial market debut and understand the organisation’s long-term vision. Clear internal communications will be essential to retaining talent and keeping teams engaged beyond the excitement of going public.
How Communications Advisors Must Respond:
The organisations that master this shift will lead the next phase of Middle Eastern finance. Communications advisors must:
1.Refine investor narratives. Move beyond financial metrics to highlight resilience, governance, and long-term market leadership.
2.Strengthen transparency in private capital. Position private investors as economic enablers, not just dealmakers.
3.Engage regulators proactively. Build relationships, shape policy discussions, and ensure clients are seen as constructive market participants.
4.Align internal messaging. Help companies retain top talent by connecting employees to long-term strategic goals.
The Middle East’s financial markets are changing, and with them, so must communications strategies. They can no longer be treated as a support function – communications is a strategic asset that can shape reputations, influence policy, and secure long-term investment. The organisations that recognise and act on this now will define not just their own futures, but the future of Middle Eastern finance itself.
Kim Polley
Kim is a disciplined, creative and energetic advocacy, corporate affairs and ESG professional, with a career spanning multiple markets in UK, Europe and Africa, with international experience in business, government, civil society and education. She is an accomplished business unit leader, reputation strategist, CEO advisor and development / sustainability specialist and commentator. Kim believes that ESG disclosure, sustainability and corporate performance are linked, and works with clients to secure the alignment of their in-market operations with stakeholder expectations, assisting them in identifying partnerships and building alliances that support their ambitions. Building inclusive economies that consider the needs of all stakeholders, no matter where they sit in the value chain, is critical not only to securing sustainable development, but organizational sustainability too. Intrinsic to her mindset is a focus on facilitating collaboration between public and private sector to foster impactful investments and economic development in line with the global shared value principles.
