HONG KONG, Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is pleased to announce today (Thursday) the appointment of Mr Jalal Almarhoon as Managing Director and Chief Regional Representative for the Middle East.
Based in HKEX’s recently opened Riyadh office, Mr Almarhoon joined the Group on 10 February 2026. He reports to Johnson Chui, HKEX Head of Global Issuer Services.
In his new role, Mr Almarhoon will lead HKEX’s engagement in Saudi Arabia and across the Middle East, overseeing Group‑wide initiatives spanning primary and secondary markets, promoting HKEX as a listing venue of choice for issuers in the region, and managing the Group’s relationships with key investors and stakeholders in the region.
As HKEX’s most senior representative in the Middle East, Mr Almarhoon will work closely with teams in Hong Kong and across HKEX’s global network to strengthen capital market connectivity between Hong Kong and the Middle East.
HKEX Chief Executive Officer, Bonnie Y Chan, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jalal to HKEX as we broaden our international reach. The Middle East is an increasingly important driver of global capital flows, and strengthening our footprint there is a key priority for us. With over 20 years of financial markets experience across the Gulf, Jalal will play an important role as we grow our business. Building on our on the ground presence in Riyadh, HKEX will continue to connect capital, issuers and investors across Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and the Middle East.”
Mr Almarhoon has worked in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Amsterdam, and joins HKEX from BNP Paribas, where he was Managing Director and Head of Strategic Corporate Coverage in Saudi Arabia. Prior to this, he spent nearly a decade at Société Générale in Saudi Arabia as Head of Corporate Coverage and earlier held a range of senior roles at Standard Chartered. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
About HKEX
Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited (HKEX) is a publicly-traded company (HKEX Stock Code: 388) and one of the world’s leading global exchange groups, offering a range of equity, derivative, commodity, fixed income and other financial markets, products and services, including the London Metal Exchange.
As a superconnector and gateway between East and West, HKEX facilitates the two-way flow of capital, ideas and dialogue between China and the rest of the world, through its pioneering Connect schemes, increasingly diversified product ecosystem and its deep, liquid and international markets.
HKEX is a purpose-led organisation which, across its business and through the work of HKEX Foundation, seeks to connect, promote and progress its markets and the communities it supports for the prosperity of all.
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