The BFX continues to attract foreign investments to the Kingdom, and appoints Edge Universal as a new Trading and Clearing Member for its conventional market.

Manama, Bahrain - 22nd of January, 2013: The Bahrain Financial Exchange (BFX), the first multi-asset international financial exchange in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, is pleased to announce Edge Universal as a Trading and Clearing Member of the BFX market.

As a Trading and Clearing Member (Self), Edge Universal has set-up its operations in the Kingdom of Bahrain to trade on the BFX derivates segment.  In addition to the proprietary trading, Edge Universal will also provide a brokerage service to its clients. The potential client base for trading and clearing on the BFX derivatives segment is globally spread, however the targeted countries will be in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a focus on  institutions and high net worth individuals based in the GCC region.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Arshad Khan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the BFX and the BFX Clearing and Depository Corporation (BCDC), said: "We are pleased to welcome Edge Universal to the Kingdom of Bahrain and to the Bahrain Financial Exchange. We trust that the BFX will play a major role in developing Edge Universal's trading network and in gaining market share within the MENA region."

Mr. Abhay Poddar, Chief Executive Officer of Edge Universal, stated: "We are very impressed with the growth in the trading volumes on the BFX. Our BFX membership is a key step forward in our expansion in the MENA region and creating greater access to an important client base."  

All the membership categories of the BFX have many benefits which include access to a comprehensive multi-asset trading platform, benefit from its cost effectiveness via the 'Plug and Trade' fully automated trading floor and access to a trading platform 16 hours a day / 5 days a week filling the window gap between Tokyo and New York trading timings.

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About Bahrain Financial Exchange (BFX):
The Bahrain Financial Exchange (BFX) is a pioneering international financial exchange based in the Kingdom of Bahrain and internationally accessible to trade cash, derivatives, structured products and Shariah-compliant financial instruments. The BFX has set up the BFX Clearing and Depository Corporation (BCDC) to clear and settle the financial instruments traded by the members of the BFX. The BFX and the BCDC are licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB).

The Exchange is a wholly owned initiative of Financial Technologies Group (FT Group), which currently owns one of the world's largest networks of 9 exchanges connecting fast‐growing economies of Africa, Middle East, India and South East Asia.

Bait Al Bursa is an Islamic finance division of the BFX, exclusively offering electronic exchange traded Islamic financial instruments. Bait Al Bursa signifies the 'Home of Exchanges', and represents the BFX's vision of providing a single venue for all the exchange traded business in the Islamic finance sector.

The BFX Training Institute (BFX-TI) is an internationally accredited training institute operating under the BFX providing world class conventional and Islamic financial training and development courses.

The BFX is a member of the International Islamic Financial Market (IIFM) and the Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB).

www.bfx.bh

For BFX media enquiries, please contact:                                      
Ghizlane Rahali
Senior Marketing and PR Manager
Bahrain Financial Exchange
Phone: +973 1651 1554
Email: ghizlane.rahali@bfx.bh

© Press Release 2013