Photo: Najla Al-Shirawi, CEO of SICO
SICO BSC (c) a leading regional asset manager, broker, and investment bank with a direct presence in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, announced today an expanded product suite at Gateway Gulf 2024. The new offerings include two Bahrain-domiciled funds: a USD 100 million global equities fund, a USD 50 million Turkish Shariah opportunities fund, as well as an upcoming USD 70 million IPO in the food and beverage sector and a USD 30 million shariah compliant securitization fund.
SICO’s subsidiary based in Riyadh, SICO Capital, also launched a USD 250 million Saudi residential real estate fund, expanding investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia’s residential market. The fund has already acquired three new residential projects in Riyadh, aligning with its growth-focused strategy in the city’s real estate sector.
The global equities fund is an actively managed USD 100 million fund targeting high-growth sectors globally, designed to deliver long-term capital appreciation.
The USD 50 million Turkish shariah opportunities fund provides investors with access to Turkey’s high-yield fixed income market, offering portfolio diversification and opportunities for favorable risk-adjusted returns in one of the fastest growing emerging markets.
Additionally, SICO is developing a USD 30 million shariah compliant consumer finance securitization, providing issuers with growth capital and giving investors access to securities backed by private credit.
SICO also announced an upcoming IPO in the food and beverage sector, with a target market capitalization of USD 70 million. Expected to be listed on the main market of the Bahrain Bourse by year-end, this IPO marks the first in Bahrain in six years and will establish the largest listed food and beverage entity on the exchange. It also aligns with Bahrain’s latest listing incentives, designed to enhance the country’s capital markets by attracting growth-oriented companies.
This IPO will launch on SICO’s newly introduced eIPO platform—an innovative digital solution powered by AI to streamline IPOs, M&A transactions, and corporate deals. By automating critical steps, the eIPO platform enhances speed, accuracy, and efficiency, underscoring SICO’s commitment to leveraging technology to improve service delivery and provide greater value to clients.
Commenting on the new offerings, Najla Al Shirawi, SICO’s Group CEO, expressed her enthusiasm for introducing these products at a distinguished event like Gateway Gulf in Bahrain , saying “At SICO, we are committed to continuously exploring innovative solutions and attractive offerings to better serve our clients, adapting to changing market conditions to meet their needs effectively. These new products reflect the dedication and forward thinking of our team, and we’re proud to launch them as part of our commitment to excellence in Bahrain’s financial sector. Our Bahrain-domiciled funds also leverage the CBB’s updated CIU framework, which provides greater flexibility and faster launch times, allowing us to respond quickly to market dynamics.”
SICO was named best investment bank in Bahrain at the 2024 Global Finance World’s Best Investment Banks Awards for the fifth consecutive year. It was also recognized as the Best Investment Bank in Bahrain, Best Securities House in Bahrain, and Best Bank in Bahrain for Diversity & Inclusion by the Euromoney Awards 2024. SICO continues to be the Kingdom’s partner of choice for M&A deals and IPOs in Bahrain, having advised on some of the country’s most significant and complex transactions.
About SICO
SICO is a leading regional asset manager, broker, and investment bank with USD 6.2 bn in assets under management (AUM). Today, SICO operates under a wholesale banking licence from the Central Bank of Bahrain and also oversees two wholly owned subsidiaries: an Abu Dhabi-based brokerage firm, SICO Invest, and a full-fledged capital markets services firm, SICO Capital, based in Saudi Arabia. Headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain with a growing regional and international presence, SICO has a well-established track record as a trusted regional bank offering a comprehensive suite of financial solutions, including asset management, brokerage, investment banking, and market making, backed by a robust and experienced research team that provides regional insight and analysis of more than 90 percent of the region’s major equities. Since inception in 1995, SICO has consistently outperformed the market and developed a solid base of institutional clients. Going forward, the bank’s continued growth will be guided by its commitments to strong corporate governance and developing trusting relationships with its clients. The bank will also continue to invest in its information technology capabilities and the human capital of its 150 exceptional employees.
