A strong Maltese delegation, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and including a sizeable business delegation, will be touring a number of countries in the Gulf starting tomorrow.  Details of the investment campaign have not been released yet.  The highlight of the tour will be next Monday in the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel, Manama (capital of Bahrain) where a conference sponsored by The Banker, entitled: Financial Services in Malta – where opportunities become realities, will be held.

According to an advert carried by The Financial Times last Monday, this morning briefing will be hosted by The Banker in association with FinanceMalta to focus “on the opportunities that exist for Middle Eastern financial firms when establishing a base in Europe”.  Malta, the ad runs on, “may be the smallest country in Europe but the World Economic Forum’s latest Competitiveness Index ranks it as 13th in the world for financial market sophistication… (Malta) offers an attractive and cost-effective base for financial organisations looking for a flexible, EU-compliant domicile.  The conference’s agenda is said to outline the key factors that make Malta a place where opportunities become realities, such as a strong economy, membership of the euro zone, a motivated English-speaking workforce, a world-class information and communication infrastructure and its strategic location close to North Africa.A strong Maltese delegation, led by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and including a sizeable business delegation, will be touring a number of countries in the Gulf starting tomorrow.