At a time when data has become the real fuel of the global economy and artificial intelligence a tool reshaping the investment industry, financial markets face a growing challenge of maintaining trust and information quality amidst the massive flow of data.

These transformations come at a time when Bloomberg processes more than 450 billion data points daily for its clients worldwide, reflecting the scale of the challenge in converting this vast amount of information into accurate and reliable insights that support investment decisions.

In this context, Jean-Paul Zammit, President of Bloomberg L.P., affirms that the future will not belong to those who have the most data, but to those who can deploy it efficiently and transparently.

In an interview with Al-Eqtisadiah, Zammit says that Saudi Arabia has witnessed a qualitative shift in the view of global investors; after being a promising emerging market five years ago, it has today become a significant part of global investment portfolios, a clear reflection of the development of the capital market and the economic reforms the Kingdom has undergone.

The Bloomberg L.P. President notes that this coincides with the readiness of Saudi riyal-denominated government sukuk to join the Bloomberg Emerging Markets Local Currency Index, with the updated index set to be published in the third quarter of 2026 and implementation complete by the end of April 2027, with expectations that the Kingdom will represent about 4% of the index weight upon full inclusion.

In this interview, Zammit talks about the future of data and artificial intelligence, the challenges of market transparency, and the impact of Saudi reforms in enhancing the Kingdom's attractiveness to global investors and solidifying its position in international capital markets. Here are the details of the interview:

How has the financial information sector changed more in the past five years than in the previous two decades?

This sector has been reshaped by a combination of three forces happening simultaneously: a significant increase in the volume of available data, major advances in cloud computing and processing power, and the emergence of artificial intelligence as a practical tool rather than a theoretical concept. Each of these forces alone would have had a significant impact. Their convergence has accelerated the pace of change at a rate the industry has never seen before.

The result is a radical transformation in what is expected from financial information providers. The challenge for investors is no longer limited to access to information. Bloomberg processes more than 450 billion data points for our clients every day, and the volume of available information is unprecedented. The challenge lies in deriving relevant insights from this vast amount of information quickly, confidently, and with a clear understanding of the sources.

Here, the role of artificial intelligence has changed the equation, as users can now increasingly interact with information in natural language, identify patterns across massive datasets in seconds, and spend more time thinking and making decisions rather than collecting data. The industry has moved from providing data to providing relevant and actionable information, and the institutions that will lead in the next decade are those that can do this at scale while maintaining the transparency and reliability that financial markets demand.

Sat, 11 2026

What role will data play in reshaping the global economy in the coming years?

Data will be one of the defining drivers of economic competitiveness in the next decade. While artificial intelligence is often seen as the transformative force, its success ultimately depends on the quality, accessibility, and transparency of the underlying data. Countries that build reliable data systems will be better positioned to attract investment, foster innovation, and drive productivity growth.

In the Middle East, one of the greatest opportunities lies in opening data in a structured and responsible manner. The region has made significant progress in digitalization and economic diversification, but global investors still need greater access to reliable, transparent, and timely information. In other words, capital flows are more efficient where information flows freely. In the past, there was a strong focus on data sovereignty in various parts of the region. But I believe this view is changing, with growing recognition that increased data accessibility, supported by strong governance and security frameworks, is essential for attracting foreign investment and supporting long-term economic growth.

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Among the areas where Bloomberg has invested significant time and effort is working alongside governments, regulators, and financial institutions to help them understand how they can securely store their data on Bloomberg systems, so they can use our analytics and tools to the fullest extent possible. The practical questions of data storage, jurisdiction, and governance deserve serious engagement, and Bloomberg's experience in multiple markets has consistently shown that trust grows once institutions have real clarity on how their data is handled and protected. We see this as an educational path, helping policymakers and institutions realize that their data can be secure, and then how to fully leverage it once available.

Transparency is no less important. Investors expect clear and consistent frameworks around data disclosure, earnings reports, and economic data. This reduces uncertainty, improves market efficiency, and lowers the cost of capital.

Sun, 12 2026

What are the most prominent risks threatening the transparency of global financial markets today?

The greatest risk is the increasing difficulty in verifying the accuracy and origin of information, at a time when the volume of information is growing faster than our collective ability to validate it. Markets operate on trust. When participants cannot confidently assess the source of data or the reliability of analysis, liquidity premiums and risk premiums rise.

The rapid growth of AI-generated content adds a new dimension to this challenge. AI can produce highly credible analyses and commentary at scale, and the tools to distinguish AI-generated content from verified primary sources are still under development. For financial markets, where decisions are made based on information quality, this represents a real concern.