Our Eurasia, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Market Advisory Group (MAG) provides thought-leadership and sets the strategic direction of UK-based financial and related professional services firms’ engagement in these regions.
We bring together senior practitioners from across the UK-based financial and related professional services industry to advise and provide insight on issues of greatest priority to the industry, and to support and develop policies that enhance trade and investment between the UK and markets in Eurasia, Middle East and Africa.
Our EMEA MAG is chaired by Adrian Cartwright, Global Partner, Clifford Chance.
Priorities of the EMEA MAG:
- Engaging policymakers, regulators and local industry to deepen financial and related professional services sector collaboration and improve bilateral trade and investment across all regions.
- Progressing key bilateral engagement across all regions in areas such as capital markets development, corporate governance, sustainable finance, FinTech, and regulatory cooperation.
- Providing industry input into bilateral government engagements and free trade agreements.
- Supporting the UK government’s economic development agenda in emerging markets, by delivering UK government funded technical assistance projects to develop open and well-regulated financial services sectors, consistent with international best practices in key markets.
Recent activities:
- In January, we held a senior member roundtable on the Middle East with Emma Reynolds MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, and discussed the opportunities and challenges of doing business in the region. We highlighted the need to strengthen bilateral cooperation with key markets to capture market growth opportunities and the need for coordination across Whitehall.
- The EMEA MAG met in February to discuss its priorities and activities across key markets in Eurasia, Middle East and Africa. The meeting included discussions with HM Treasury (HMT) and the Department of Business and Trade (DBT) on the ongoing UK-GCC FTA negotiation and the industry key asks for the UK-Turkey FTA.
- In April, we supported the UK-Azerbaijan intergovernmental dialogues in London and assisted DBT in understanding the opportunities and challenges to bilateral trade and investment. We hosted meetings with the Baku Stock Exchange and the Central Bank of Azerbaijan on capital markets development.
- The Africa subgroup met in April and heard from the Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office and DBT on the government’s Approach to Africa and explored how UK professional services can support the ongoing work in the region.
- The Middle East subgroup met in July 2025 and discussed priorities and workplan for the year. The group heard from HMT on its ongoing engagement in the region and the UK-GCC FTA negotiation.
For more information about our EMEA work programme please contact us.