QInvest named ‘Sharia Fund of the Year’

Doha,Qatar, Monday, November 22nd 2010 [ME NewsWire]:

QInvest, Qatar’s leading investment bank, has won the prestigious ‘Sharia Fund of the Year’ award at the Global Investor Future of Capital Markets forum in Dubai.



Demonstrating its strong focus on product innovation, QInvest and joint venture partner ABN AMRO, (previously Fortis Bank Nederland) , won the ‘Sharia Fund of the Year’ award by successfully closing the US$ 75million financing for the first ever Sharia’a compliant Mezzanine Shipping Fund.



“The award expresses our commitment to contributing to the development of the Islamic financial services industry by offering innovative Sharia’a compliant investment solutions to our investors in the GCC region,” says QInvest’s CEO Shahzad Shahbaz.



Representing QInvest at the award ceremony in Dubai, Faiz Nassim, Head of Financial Institutions and Structured Finance, commented:



“QInvest is honoured to be awarded ‘the Sharia’a Fund of the Year’ award. We are committed to continually developing innovative financial solutions and responding to client appetite for Sharia’a compliant products that provide investors with upside potential and an opportunity to diversify their portfolios.



Investor demand for Islamic structured financial solutions has been considerable, reflecting interest from both Sharia’a and conventional investors alike who seek an opportunity to diversify their portfolios in terms of sector and asset class.



QInvest is providing investment opportunities particularly in the region given the uniqueness of product offered. Relatively few credit fund investment opportunities have existed in the recent past within the GCC, where the majority of proposals take the form of equity funds.



QInvest CEO Shahbaz said: "This accolade is a significant achievement for the experienced and talented team we have assembled at QInvest. The Fund’s investment rationale was driven by a shipping industry in need of a more favourable financing approach offered by sharia’a investment.”



Lately, QInvest has acquired a 28% stake in Asian Business Exhibition & Conferences Ltd (ABECL), India’s leading exhibitions and conferences organizer to further expand ABECL’s operations in India and to establish an international presence. This investment fits well into the firm’s strategy of supporting well-managed companies with strong growth potential in the MENASA region, and demonstrates confidence in the Indian economy and clients appetite to deploy capital in one of the world emerging markets.



Based on a philosophy that “with trust comes sharing, through sharing comes partnership and through partnerships, value is created”, QInvest has created a unique platform with strategic partnerships in the region and beyond. The platform offers a broad range of expertise which enables QInvest to deliver a high value service to clients, seamlessly covering advisory, financing and investment needs. The business lines include investment banking, investment management, brokerage and wealth management; with dedicated origination and placement teams.



To further strengthen its international reach, QInvest made two important strategic investments. The firm took a 47% stake in Panmure Gordon PLC in 2009 leveraging the experience and track record of the 130-year-old UK stockbroker/investment bank together with its US Investment Bank subsidiary, ThinkEquity, to forge ahead with plans to launch a pan-Middle East, institutionally focused Brokerage business. Second, the firm took a 25% stake in Ambit, one of India’s leading investment banking firms, giving clients access to this high growth market in which many investors have expressed keen interest.



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Notes to the Editor


About QInvest

QInvest was licensed by the Qatar Financial Centre Authority in April 2007 and is authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority. The Bank has authorized capital of USD 1 billion and paid up capital USD 750 million.



Led by Chairman H.E. Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jabr Al Thani, and Chief Executive Officer Shahzad Shahbaz, QInvest has created a world class investment banking capability operating under Sharia’a compliant structures, with the highest standards of governance and transparency.



The QInvest shareholder structure includes Qatar Islamic Bank and other institutional investors, as well as prominent high net worth individuals from across the region. The platform offers a broad range of expertise which enables QInvest to deliver a high value service to clients, seamlessly covering advisory, financing and investment needs.


QInvest’s business lines include investment banking, investment management, brokerage and wealth management, with dedicated origination and placement teams.



With over 130 staff, including 65 front office professionals, QInvest’s talented team of investment bankers brings a valuable mix of both international experience and regional knowledge, enabling the Firm to pursue opportunities across its chosen markets of the Middle East, Africa, Turkey, South Asia and South-East Asia.



Extending beyond this geographic focus, the firm also pursues opportunistic transactions globally where it identifies high value propositions for clients. www.qinvest.com


For media enquiries, please contact:

Bassel Hanbali –

Head of Marketing & Corporate Communications

Telephone: +974 4405-6666

Email: bassel.hanbali@qinvest.com