Market Days is a three-day annual event that brings together project sponsors, financiers, governments and other key stakeholders to advance deals toward close

CASABLANCA, Morocco, November 14, 2024/APO Group/ — 

A group of top African investors made a stop in Casablanca, Morocco, on Tuesday, November 12 to mobilise Moroccan investors and business leaders a few weeks ahead of the Africa Investment Forum’s Market Days event.

The Africa Investment Forum, an initiative of the African Development Bank Group and eight other founding partners, is a platform that advances projects to bankability, raises capital, and accelerates transactions to financial close.

Organised by Africa50 (http://apo-opa.co/3O8LVij), a pan-African infrastructure investor and asset manager, and the African Development Bank Group, the roadshow provided a preview of Market Days  to local investors, and  enjoined  them to actively participate in the transformation of the continent through sustainable investments.

Market Days is a three-day annual event that brings together project sponsors, financiers, governments and other key stakeholders to advance deals toward close. The 2024 Market Days will be held from December 4-6 in Rabat, Morocco’s capital.

Morocco: a Regional Hub for Investment in Africa

The Africa Investment Forum continues to advance critical projects towards bankable stages, channeling capital towards sectors aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals

In his opening remarks, Abdelkrim Achir, Deputy Director of the Treasury and External Finance at Morocco’s Ministry of the Economy and Finance, said, “the organization of the Africa Investment Forum in Morocco for the second year running is recognition of the significant efforts made to promote investment under the impetus of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist him, and of the Kingdom’s positioning as a regional hub for investment and growth.”

Ms. Yacine Fal, Special Representative of the President of the African Development Bank Group for the Africa Investment Forum was present. She said, “this pre-forum event in Casablanca reinforces our commitment to connecting African projects with capital. By engaging local investors upfront, we are laying the foundations for transformative partnerships that will fuel Africa’s long-term development goals. The Africa Investment Forum continues to advance critical projects towards bankable stages, channeling capital towards sectors aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, the African Development Bank’s High 5s, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.”

Ms. Zurina Saban, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Africa50 also attended the event. She said, “The more than$100 billion infrastructure financing gap on the continent can only be closed through a concerted effort from both domestic and international investors, and the Market Days platform is strategic for bringing together the right people and connecting  them to high-impact projects to accelerate the continent’s growth.  As Africa50 works alongside our AIF partners, we are committed to leveraging the collective power of local knowledge, extended networks, and our project development and project finance expertise to shape Africa’s future – creating lasting impact for generations to come.”

Innovations for Scaling Up Investments

The 2024 Market Days, under the theme: “Leveraging Innovative Partnerships for Scale,” will bring together more than 2,000 participants from over 50 countries. The event will focus on advancing high-potential African projects towards financial close through strategic partnerships that drive Africa’s economic transformation.

Among the highlights of the 2024 edition of the Africa Investment Forum the recent automation of its project and investment tracking mechanism. This is expected to optimise the investment process, enhance project supervision, and strengthen the efficiency of connections between capital and projects on the continent.

The founding partners of the African Investment Forum are the African Development Bank, Africa50, Africa Finance Corporation, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the Development Bank of Southern Africa, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), which joined earlier in 2024.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

New Infobip research reveals generational shopping preferences ahead of Black Friday

CASABLANCA, Morocco, November 13, 2024/APO Group/ — 

New research from global communication platform Infobip (www.Infobip.com) highlights how different generations want to communicate with businesses and brands ahead of Black Friday. When at least 86% of all generations expect targeted and relevant communications, according to Infobip’s research, retailers need a personalized approach for each generation of shoppers.

Black Friday is the start of the Christmas shopping season. Millions of consumers search for deals online, providing retailers with a growing opportunity to increase sales and strengthen brand presence. Even a 5% increase in customer retention can boost profits by more than 25%, according to management consultancy Bain & Company.

However, brands must get customer communications right to enhance loyalty and grow sales

However, creating an appropriate omnichannel strategy to communicate with consumers across four generations can be challenging. Get it wrong and brands may lose sales or even loyal customers. Infobip’s Generational Messaging Trends Report reveals the communication preferences of each generation:

• Baby boomers: are less accepting of repetitive content where, 40% want more varied communications versus 8% of Gen Z, but favor chat apps more than Gen X (68% compared to 57%) 
• Generation X: 73% of Gen X prefer to receive product and service updates compared with just 55% of Gen Z
• Millennials: younger generations are more open to new communication channels, where 60% of millennials are happy to make purchases through chatbots
• Generation Z: 83% expect a brand to understand them as individuals, and 65% want a two-way dialogue with the brands they buy from

Ivan Ostojić, Chief Business Officer at Infobip, said: “Our research shows that most shoppers, no matter their age, want brands to engage with them like with a friend through conversational channels and say it will increase their loyalty. However, brands must get customer communications right to enhance loyalty and grow sales. That’s why Infobip has analyzed what each generation prefers and published a new report and a playbook to help retailers and ecommerce firms make the most of the shopping season.”

Read the report: https://apo-opa.co/3CnAvod

Recent award wins include:

• Infobip named a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) 2024 for the second year running (June 2024)
• Infobip named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies (March 2024)
• Infobip ranked as number one Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) provider, in the inaugural MetriRank CPaaS Report from Metrigy (Dec 2023)
• Omdia Ranks Infobip as Leader for the second year running in its CPaaS Universe Report (Nov 2023)
• Infobip named a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) 2023 (Sept 2023)
• Infobip named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) 2023 Vendor Assessment (May 2023)
• Infobip named a leader in the CPaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (March 2024)
• Infobip named a leader in the CCaaS Leaderboard, Juniper Research (Dec 2023)
• Infobip named a leader in the Juniper Customer Data Platform Leaderboard Report (July 2023)

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Infobip.

Industry experts, influencers, and pioneers from the world’s top pharmaceutical hubs will gather at the inaugural CPHI Middle East – the most comprehensive pharma convention in the region

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, November 13, 2024/APO Group/ —

• Industry experts from across 100 countries will descend on Riyadh this December for launch event of most comprehensive pharma convention in the region
• Stage set for international collaboration, upscaling, and regional market entries, while health and environmental interplay come under the microscope

Industry trailblazers from over 100 nations across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East will gather in Riyadh this December to collaborate on advancing the future of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors in Saudi and other countries like Jordan, Morocco and Armenia.

Industry experts, influencers, and pioneers from the world’s top pharmaceutical hubs will gather at the inaugural CPHI Middle East – the most comprehensive pharma convention in the region – when it runs at the Riyadh Front Exhibition & Convention Centre from December 10-12. The landmark event, which has the support of the Saudi Ministry of Health, will be a dynamic platform for international collaboration, where local, regional, and international professionals can interact, share insights, and forge meaningful business partnerships.    

“The geographic footprint of both the exhibitor profile and conference speaker platform holds the promise of transformative outcomes of groundbreaking ideas and collaborative initiatives,” said Mundhir Al-Hakim, Exhibition Director of CPHI Middle East. “The event’s diverse lineup includes the biggest names in pharmaceutical manufacturing, biotech development, and contract and clinical services who are poised to revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare delivery.

“CPHI Middle East is not just a regional event; it’s a global stage for the pharmaceutical industry. With over 70 per cent international participation, we’re creating a truly global hub for knowledge sharing, partnership building, and innovation, said Mundhir Al-Hakim.

The event will spotlight international collaboration via its comprehensive knowledge-sharing programme, which spans four stages dedicated to The Future of Pharma, Innovation, Next-Gen Bio, and Discovery. All four are designed to accentuate the latest trends, with delegates gaining valuable insights into current challenges and opportunities shaping the pharmaceutical sector.

With more than 30,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors anticipated across 30,000 square-metres of exhibition space, CPHI Middle East will be where the future of pharma unites

Many prominent speakers are set to speak at the event next month, discussing a wide range of current and pressing topics around the future of healthcare, biotech, incentivising and investing in R&D, commercial sector growth, and innovations driving the next generation of pharmaceutical advancements. Professor Peter Pitts, President and Co-Founder of the Centre for Medicine in the Public Interest and a visiting Professor at the University of Paris School of Medicine with experience as a former member of the US Food & Drug Administration, will be bringing a wealth of knowledge to discussions on the urgency of sound science and post-pandemic healthcare policy.

The global experts will network with regional influencers including Mosaed Alkolief, Strategy Advisor at the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties; Dr Hana Sboul, Secretary General of the Jordanian Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers; Dr Abdelali Hauudi, Chairman of Strategy & Business Development at King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, Saudi Arabia; and Chokri Jeribi, President of the Chamber of CRO Tunisia. International companies will also be presenting successful case studies of their thriving businesses in KSA at the event.

International exhibitors like Sartorius, Julphar, Zeta Pharma, Caregen, Sartorius, SimSon Pharma Ltd, Soficopharm, UNT Pharmaceuticals, Berry Global and many more will line up alongside some of the Middle East and North Africa’s biggest industry names. The geographic interplay will set the groundwork for the event to prove a hive of international collaboration for active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) discovery and production planning across the MENA region, the world’s fifth-largest pharma market and one that is projected to grow at an annual rate of 10 per cent over the next eight years. CPHI Middle East will connect global suppliers of raw materials, machinery, packaging solutions, and contract services with regional visitors and partners.

The event is also seen as an unparalleled opportunity for global leaders to scout partners that can help them establish a presence in Saudi Arabia, where the pharmaceutical market is projected to reach US$11.5 billion by 2032. The Kingdom’s National United Procurement Company (NUPCO) requires bidders to have a registered Saudi office, creating a landscape ripe for partnerships that can boost domestic pharma production to its national vision targets from the current 20 per cent to 40 per cent by 2030. Healthcare and life sciences are among the most significant sectors in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

The event will also focus on Saudi Arabia’s ambitions to be a global biotech leader, with the country planning to achieve self-sufficiency in vaccine production, biomanufacturing, and genomics.

Organised by Tahaluf, the Kingdom’s fastest-growing business event organiser, CPHI Middle East marks a significant milestone for the region’s rapidly expanding pharma sector. Partnered with the Events Investment Fund, the event aligns with Saudi Vision 2030, prioritising healthcare and life sciences as key sectors.

“We expect this event to be a melting pot of ideas and partnerships,” added Al-Hakim. “With more than 30,000 visitors and 400 exhibitors anticipated across 30,000 square-metres of exhibition space, CPHI Middle East will be where the future of pharma unites to build partnerships that extend across the Middle East and the world.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of CPHI Middle East.