The Company’s establishment of a permanent, on-the-ground, presence is in response to growing demand from GCC investors for more direct access to Emerging Asia’s growth opportunities. Asiya Investments’ proximity to these markets is expected to further deepen its relationships with local institutions and businesses and enhance its ability to source more investments in Emerging Asia, which today accounts for over 20% of the world’s GDP and 35% of the growth in the global economy.
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Asiya Hong Kong is managed by its two Executive Directors, Sulaiman Alireza and Dan Xystus. With a 20-strong team of investment professionals in place in Hong Kong, they will focus on further building Asiya’s investments in public markets as well as direct investments across Emerging Asia.
Mr. Alireza spearheaded the establishment of the Hong Kong entity, having previously worked at HSBC’s Capital Markets division and spent over 8 years in Hong Kong. He now leads the Direct Investments and Joint Ventures practice. Mr. Xystus in turn leads the firm’s Public Equity investments and enjoys over 20 years experience in the financial markets. Having been a Managing Director at Chicago Equity Partners, he joined the Group in 2008 when he led the establishment and then management of Asiya’s public equity investments and hedge fund strategies. The hedge funds now have a strong track record over the last three years.
Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Ahmad Al-Hamad, Group Managing Director of Asiya Investments, said: "We are really excited about this move, which we have been working on since we established Asiya Investments Dubai last year. What this move does for us is build upon the solid foundations we’ve established over the past eight years. Since 2005, we have steadily built a strong presence in Asia through our partners and the investments we’ve made, which total over $500 million".
He continued, "Historically, there has been an under investment from the GCC into Asia relative to the region’s share of global growth. Now we’re finding increasing demand from Arab investors for detailed knowledge of the investment landscape in Asia. This presence, in the heart of Asia, puts us in an even better position to address this portfolio imbalance and deliver that expertise to our shareholders and partners. We offer them unique access to direct deals and world-class investment management capabilities – both areas in which we have generated a robust track record of performance and returns for Asiya and our co-investors. We’re also going to use our base in Hong Kong to facilitate joint ventures between companies in Emerging Asia and the GCC, as we see an intensifying level of economic and social engagement between the two regions".
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By GlobalDataThe establishment of the firm’s Hong Kong presence marks the planned and continued expansion of the Group. In May 2012, Asiya Investments Dubai was launched as its Investment Advisory arm based in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Group’s Corporate Office in Kuwait.
