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Firm offers
help with data, red tape, equity finance,
and structuring
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A firm belief
in the value of research contributes to
the success of Global Investment House,
an investment banking firm that manages
more than $4 billion from clients all over
the Middle East and North Africa (MENA)
region.
Global stands
out for its focus on investing in intellectual
capital and data, rather than solely on
playing the booming stock markets. As a
result, 65% of its fees are recurring, while
most of its competitors depend on stock
market performance for 80 % of their fees.
The company
boasts the region’s largest data bank.
“We have more than 70 financial analysts
at Global, and this is the largest corporate
desk in the entire MENA region,” says
Maha K. Al-Ghunaim, Vice Chairman and Managing
Director. “We
do research for companies, sectors, and
countries all over the GCC.”
Global has
established more than 20 companies, including
specialized firms with interests in the
health and education sectors, some with
a capital of $300 million.
“For big
projects you need a local partner,”
says Mrs. Al-Ghunaim. “I don’t
mean a Kuwaiti partner but a Gulf Cooperation
Council (GCC) partner who can open doors
through offering support in data and structuring
and equity finance, in which we are very
active.”
Global recently
won the ‘Best Equity House in Kuwait’
award from the financial magazine Euromoney
and is driving up standards across the investment
industry in Kuwait and the region. Profits
went from $10.6 million in 2002 to $73.3
million in 2004.
“Ourr
company has always strived to attain international
standards and to work for international
clients,” says Mrs. Al-Ghunaim. “We
have always positioned ourselves for two
things: one is to be the number one in GCC
markets and the other is to be the best
partners for international companies that
want to come and work here.”
Global now
has offices in Bahrain, Oman, Dubai, and
Jordan. It is listed in Bahrain as well
as Kuwait and is soon to be listed in Dubai.
“Global
is not a Kuwait-based company anymore,”
Mrs. Al-Ghunaim says. “Like many other
banks, it is expanding throughout the Gulf.”
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