The Market 2.0: Bahrain 2026

The Market 2.0 is a technology-focused capital markets conference hosted by Bahrain Bourse with the Arab Federation of Capital Markets (AFCM). Its second edition, themed "Markets in Motion: Powering the Next Era of Trading", returns to Bahrain for a day of panels on how automation, AI and real-time market infrastructure are reshaping trading, liquidity, data and surveillance in Arab markets and beyond.

Agenda

The day runs from registration and sponsor networking through five panels and technology presentations to a closing networking lunch.

• Trading system migration: the hidden myth chief executives hate to tackle
• Execution alpha vs investment alpha: redesigning the buy-side trading mandate
• Trading liquidity in the real world: fragmentation, illiquidity and adaptive execution
• Data as a product: the economics of market data monetization
• Corporate actions and market integrity: the role of AI in surveillance and IR

Who attends

The organizers describe it as a specialised gathering on the architecture of markets rather than a generic fintech event. The 2025 edition drew more than 500 participants from exchanges, regulators, brokers, infrastructure providers and technology firms, and the 2026 audience adds custodians, asset managers and policymakers.

CTO Technical Workshop

Ahead of the conference, AFCM runs a two-day hands-on CTO Technical Workshop on 1-2 December 2026 at the Bahrain Bourse Business Centre, delivered with ZagTrader for technology leaders from exchanges, CSDs, brokers, banks and asset managers.