Fadi Khalaf – Arab Federation of Exchanges

Lebanon’s capital market is entering a new era, at least in legislative terms, with parliament’s approval of the long awaited capital market law in August 2011. In a next step, an independent regulatory authority with oversight of the Beirut Stock Exchange (BSE) is to be created and headed by the central bank governor, the indomitable Riad Salameh. Fadi Khalaf, secretary general of the Union of Arab Stock Exchanges and former BSE chairman, talks to Executive about the new law, imbalances in Lebanon’s financial markets and the BSE’s new prospects and challenges. The BSE has not had a president since you left in August 2009. Do you know of any plans to have a new president? I am not aware of any plans regarding the election of the next president. This is government politics. There are over 50 vacant positions in the Lebanese government and this is just one of them.