The six Gulf Co-operation Council states are witnessing the best investment climate and marking the highest growth in a decade. "This is substantiated by huge market capitalisation which has taken place and a likely entry of new initial public offerings (IPOs)", Hassan Salim Al-Ammari, CEO, Al-Tawfeek Co. for Investment Funds, said on June 15. The occasion was the launch of Shariah-compliant GCC Equity Fund, a Bahrain Monetary Agency-approved open-ended fund with a target capital of $100m.
The company has decided to invest the fund in listed and unlisted Shariah-compliant equity and equity-related securities in the GCC countries - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Ammari said: "We'll invest 70% of it in listed and the remaining 30% in unlisted Shariah-compliant equity and equity-related securities in the region".
The new fund offers an opportunity to invest in the GCC equity markets. It reflects Al-Tawfeek's confidence on the outlook of the GCC economies. It will broaden Al-Tawfeek's range of investment funds and provide an opportunity to invest in an exciting era of the GCC, dominated by ongoing economic reform and a period of extraordinary growth reminiscent of the oil boom of the 1970s.
Al-Tawfeek company is a member of the Saudi Dallah AlBaraka Group, a leading provider of Shariah-compliant investment funds in the region. Dhafer Salih Al-Qahtani, general manager of the company, gave a presentation on the fund and its focus on the GCC. The fund offers bimonthly liquidity after three months with a minimum subscription of $15,000 for individuals and $100,000 for institutions.
The fund was launched at a time when the region was at the centre of world attention. In 2004, the GCC posted its highest growth in a decade. The region's corporate earnings had a growth of more than 50% compared to 40% in 2003. The combined net oil exports of the GCC exceeded $180 bn in 2004, up $35 bn from 2003.
With over $765 bn in market capitalisation and a number of new entrants (new IPOs) expected from the Saudi-based National Commercial Bank and Almarai, a number of new investment opportunities are bund to follow. With plans underway for a new capital market law in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, the introduction of Bahrain's Financial Harbour and the launch of the Dubai International Financial Centre, the region aims to position itself among international financial markets, creating further depth and diversity.
Dubai-based SHUAA Capital has been appointed as the investment manager of the fund. "SHUAA Capital has a 25-year history and a strong track record of investing in the GCC equity markets", its Managing Director, Asset Management Group, Haissam Arabi, said. SHUAA Capital has won the 2004 Euromoney award for excellence for being the "best equities house in the UAE". In addition, SHUAA Capital has successfully completed a variety of transactions for a number of institutions in the UAE.
Bahrain-based Gulf Clearing Co. has been appointed as custodian and administrator of the fund. The firm is a big fund custody and administration service provider with assets under custody exceeding $5 bn, according to its Vice President Ali Al-Laith.
A Shariah board will advise on the fund's Shariah-compliance. The board includes Dr. Abdul Sattar Abu Ghuddah, Abdullah Ibn Suleiman Al-Manai, Dr. Abdul Latif Al-Mahmoud, Dr. Ezzedine Bin Mohammed Khouja, and Dr. Ahmad Mohieldin Ahmad.
Al-Tawfeek is a specialised financial firm incorporated in 1992 in the Cayman Islands. It is one of the financial arms of Dallah AlBaraka Group. The group is one of the largest conglomerates in Saudi Arabia with total assets exceeding $12 bn, and with companies operating from more than 40 countries. Since its inception, Al-Tawfeek has launched a number of Shariah-compliant investment funds covering a variety of asset classes including equities, corporate debt, real estate, private equity, venture capital, leasing and reconstruction. It has yielded high returns for its investors in a number of Shariah-compliant investment funds.
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