Abu Dhabi, UAE, March 2008: The National Investor (TNI), one of the leading investment and merchant banking groups in the GCC region, announced yesterday that the Capital Market Authority (CMA) of Saudi Arabia has approved its new group company, The National Investor Saudi Arabia (TNI-KSA), to provide financial services in the Kingdom. As such, TNI-KSA is now licensed to provide a full range of investment banking services, including corporate finance, asset management, real estate and private equity.
Commenting on the new license, Mr. Abdullah M. Mazrui, Chairman of TNI’s Board of Directors, said: “This is a very happy moment for us being yet another major stride towards our firm’s success. With this new entity now in place, we will continue to benefit from emerging market opportunities in the region. We have always been able to differentiate ourselves in a crowded and competitive market place based on our trusted client service, but now with the launch of our activities in the Kingdom, we believe we can further strengthen our businesses, better serve our clients, and foster the delivery of strong growth across all our activities”.
As part of its expansion strategy, TNI signed in 2007 a partnership agreement with Al Rajhi Investment Group (ARIG), one of the most diversified investment groups in Saudi Arabia, to establish a closed joint stock company in Riyadh with an initial paid up capital of SAR 75 million (AED 75 million). “We are proud to be associated with such a prominent Saudi name,” commented Mr. Orhan Osmansoy, TNI’s Chief Executive Officer. “In our view, this is going to be amongst the most powerful partnerships that one can have in Saudi Arabia. I am confident that with ARIG on board, we will have the right platform in place to become a successful player in the Kingdom,” he said.
“In the past, we covered the Saudi market through our Abu Dhabi offices; by having the proper infrastructure, personnel and the right partnership with a renowned Saudi group such as ARIG, we believe we now have significant presence in the Saudi market,” Mr. Andrei Ugarov, Chief Executive Officer of TNI-KSA, commented. “Given our track record in the UAE and the opportunities that exist in the Saudi market, I anticipate that TNI-KSA will soon become a major contributor to our aggregate bottom-line,” Mr. Ugarov concluded.
About The National Investor: The National Investor (TNI) is a privately owned regional investment and merchant banking group. The firm comprises six strategic business units covering investment banking, private equity, asset management, real estate, principal investments, and investment research. In addition, the firm has an associate company, Gulf National Securities Centre (GNSC), which provides brokerage services as a registered member of the Abu Dhabi Securities Market (ADSM), the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), and Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX).
About Al Rajhi Investment Group: Al Rajhi Investment Group is a well established diversified business group located in KSA and UAE. The Group’s line of business is very diversified with a defined mission and vision that govern its business growth strategies, and is keen to achieve such within the coming five years.