INVESTMENT COMPANY EXTENDS ITS DFSA LICENSE TO INCLUDE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT SERVICES

Dubai, UAE, 01 February 2010: The National Investor (“TNI”), Abu Dhabi's leading investment company, is augmenting its DIFC-based business to include investment management services in line with the extension of its DFSA license. The relocation of the management of TNI’s public and private equity funds, to the strictly regulated jurisdiction, is part of an effort to further institutionalise the firm’s asset management offering.

Walid Hayeck, Director and Head of Asset Management said: “It makes sense for us to manage our funds from the leading international financial centre in the Middle East, to best serve our institutional clients. The regulatory body of the DIFC, the Dubai Financial Service Authority (DFSA), is an internationally respected regulator. The Authority’s regime of regulations for asset management and financial services is based on high standards of ethical conduct, integrity, transparency and professionalism. The regulatory system has been modeled on the highest international standards, which suits TNI’s fund proposition. The move has been welcomed by our institutional and private clients alike.”

Yahya Jalil, Senior Executive Officer of TNI (Dubai) Limited and Head of Private Equity commented: “TNI has had a DIFC-based, private equity advisory team since 2006. The license upgrade allows investment management of both the private equity and asset management funds from this office. Our high profile MENA Equity Fund, MENA Real Estate Active Fund and the UAE Blue Chip Fund will now be supervised from the Centre.”

The TNI asset management division was launched in 2005 and it currently manages regional equity and balanced funds in addition to discretionary portfolios.

On TNI’s regional network Jalil continues: “Although our Saudi and Dubai-based businesses are growing, we are still very much an Abu Dhabi company and our roots and much of our business, including real estate and investment banking operations, continues to grow from there.”

Notes to Editors

About The National Investor: The National Investor (“TNI”) is an Abu Dhabi-based investment company with over 14 years of proven track record in investment banking and investment management services. It is one of the leading capital markets players in the Middle East and North Africa (“MENA”) region and an active investor in the local stock markets. The firm was incorporated in 1994 as an investment company, and is licensed and regulated by the Central Bank of the UAE.

TNI has offices in Abu Dhabi, DIFC and Saudi Arabia. For more information visit: www.tni.ae

About The National Investor Asset Management: The Asset Management business was launched in 2005 and currently has nearly AED 1 billion (USD 272 million) in funds and discretionary portfolios under management. Since inception, the division has been awarded “Best Asset Management House” by Banker Middle East three years in a row from 2006 to 2008. Both of TNI’s flagship funds, TNI UAE Blue Chip Fund and TNI MENA Real Estate Active, have consistently outperformed their respective benchmarks and peer groups, and recently have been assigned “A” rating by Standard & Poor’s.


For more information please contact:

Rania Senada
Phone: +9712 6192336
Email: rsenada@tni.ae

Heidi Robinson
Phone : +97150 848 5022
Email : heidiraeside@gmail.com

INDUSTRY ACCOLADE AWARDED BY BANKER MIDDLE EAST

DUBAI, UAE, 29 JULY 2010: TNI Private Equity, a division of The National Investor PJSC has won the ‘Best Private Equity House’ award at the Banker Middle East 2010 Industry Awards, which were held on June 16, 2010 at the Emirates Towers in Dubai. The annual award recognizes excellence in the field of private equity investment from amongst the leading private equity investment funds and private equity companies in the GCC region.

TNI Private Equity was first shortlisted as a candidate for the accolade by a jury of the region’s leading investment banking and private equity professionals, and then ultimately judged as the winner by an open, on-line voting system. This is the third industry excellence award that TNI Private Equity has won in the past five years; the division took home the same award in 2005 and in 2009 it won ‘Best Investor in Healthcare’ at the Middle East Investor Summit in Riyadh.

Although TNI’s Private Equity division was launched in 2006, the firm has been making substantial private equity investments since 2003 and has had a strategic role in the success of many of the region’s largest companies, across a range of sectors. TNI Private Equity is based in the DIFC and currently manages the TNI Growth Capital Fund (GCF I), which has so far delivered industry-leading realized returns. At present, TNI have a portfolio of over a dozen investments across the GCC, in various sectors. The division is also working on the launch of two successor funds: TNI Capital Partners II (TCP II), which will be focused on growth capital and leveraged buyouts and etQaan, a Sharia Special Situations Fund. The latter fund will be a joint venture with a leading Kuwaiti asset management firm.

Furthermore, within the year in the award’s review, TNI Private Equity was noted for its key role in the landmark L’Azurde Company for Jewellery leveraged buyout deal, which was the first of its kind in Saudi Arabia.

“We are proud to have won this award, which is a reflection of the confidence our clients have in TNI and an endorsement of our achievements in the MENA private equity landscape. Our goal is to build a leading private equity franchise in the MENA region and deliver above average returns to our investors”, said Orhan Osmansoy, Chief Executive Officer of TNI.

Yahya Jalil, Head of TNI Private Equity commented: “The open voting system, by which we won this award, is a testament to the positive way TNI Private Equity is perceived by the market. TNI is proud of its heritage in private equity and of the tremendous achievements made by the dedicated team of professionals that have helped in the creation of the franchise. The division will continue to be an example of innovation and excellence in its field. We strongly believe the private equity universe across the GCC remains an exciting one, that will allow significant value-creation opportunities in the future, and TNI intends to remain a key player in this market.”


For more information, images or interviews please contact:

Tamara Cora
Phone: +971 50 813 1216
Email: tcora@tni.ae

Heidi Robinson
Phone : +97150 848 5022
Email : heidiraeside@gmail.com