11 April 2012
Muscat: One of the most important themes of the emerging world order is the principle of sustainable development and sustainable investing.
It is time for investors to embrace this inexorable trend and this will be one of the best investment decisions to take in 2012, Burkhard P. Varnholt, chief investment officer, Swiss-based Bank Sarasin, told Times of Oman.
Varnholt was recently in Oman to speak at a round table session organised for clients of Sarasin-Alpen on the global investment outlook and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
The operations of Sarasin-Alpen started in Muscat in 2008 and provides a comprehensive range of private banking advisory services.
Underlining his commitment to a sustainable approach in company's core business, he said, "An approach to sustainable development is by no means limited to renewable energy, it is just a small but important part but the bigger picture is about foresight, managing an economy, a state, a business, or a company to prepare it for the next hundred years."
"When you are serious about, you can't cut corners when it comes to your environment, in a way you treat your employees, other companies that deal with you, you have just run your business in a first class way if you really want to prepare it for the next hundred years," he added.
Sustainable solutions
Investors should note that only sustainable solutions can fix global challenges.
An increasingly resource-constrained world is moving towards becoming a zero-tolerance zone, which equally applies to the financial world, he said.
"Investors should beware of firms cutting corners or understating the environmental risks to their business. Instead, enormous rewards will go to companies and investors who can turn resource shortages into sustainable business opportunities," he added.
Speaking about Bank Sasarin, Varnholt said, "Bank Sarasin has been banking for more than 175 years and it is focused on institutional and private investors. It advises clients on investments through its wealth managers."
"We have three key markets, one is Gulf-based, the second is Switzerland, and the third one is Asia. The bank has been in the Gulf for a long time has offices in all major GCC states except in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and have plans to open new offices."
Talking about the investment climate in the backdrop of the world crisis, Varnholt said, "When you look at the local aspect the crisis clearly has bottomed out. Demand and supply are beginning to balance in the construction sector which was at the heart of the crisis in some GCC states. Demographic and economic growth will continue to narrow down that gaps."
Elaborating upon Sarasin GCC Equity Opportunities Fund which is an open-ended fund whose objective is long-term capital growth.
"The fund is designed in a very simple but powerful way and allows you to invest in smaller companies," he further said.
He said the Sarasin GCC Equity Opportunities Fund (USD) is intended to achieve long-term capital growth by investing in the equity markets of Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The investment officer said that Bank Sarasin has received approvals from the Capital Market Authority (CMA) of Oman to market Islamic securities, products and services to its clientele, along with its existing advisory services in private banking.
"We are conscious of and keen on investing in shariah-compliant investments and have created several shariah-compliant investments in the last few years," he said.
"We also bring out an Islamic Wealth report every year and have been promoting Islamic commodity fund, water fund, equity fund and virtually all financial instruments that investors would expect from shariah-compliant offering," Varnholt further added.
"Our plan in the GCC is to maintain the robust growth that we have achieved. We had outstanding results over the last seven years and would like to continue further in boosting our revenues and expand our footprints across the Gulf Cooperation Council including India," he added.
Muscat: One of the most important themes of the emerging world order is the principle of sustainable development and sustainable investing.
It is time for investors to embrace this inexorable trend and this will be one of the best investment decisions to take in 2012, Burkhard P. Varnholt, chief investment officer, Swiss-based Bank Sarasin, told Times of Oman.
Varnholt was recently in Oman to speak at a round table session organised for clients of Sarasin-Alpen on the global investment outlook and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) markets.
The operations of Sarasin-Alpen started in Muscat in 2008 and provides a comprehensive range of private banking advisory services.
Underlining his commitment to a sustainable approach in company's core business, he said, "An approach to sustainable development is by no means limited to renewable energy, it is just a small but important part but the bigger picture is about foresight, managing an economy, a state, a business, or a company to prepare it for the next hundred years."
"When you are serious about, you can't cut corners when it comes to your environment, in a way you treat your employees, other companies that deal with you, you have just run your business in a first class way if you really want to prepare it for the next hundred years," he added.
Sustainable solutions
Investors should note that only sustainable solutions can fix global challenges.
An increasingly resource-constrained world is moving towards becoming a zero-tolerance zone, which equally applies to the financial world, he said.
"Investors should beware of firms cutting corners or understating the environmental risks to their business. Instead, enormous rewards will go to companies and investors who can turn resource shortages into sustainable business opportunities," he added.
Speaking about Bank Sasarin, Varnholt said, "Bank Sarasin has been banking for more than 175 years and it is focused on institutional and private investors. It advises clients on investments through its wealth managers."
"We have three key markets, one is Gulf-based, the second is Switzerland, and the third one is Asia. The bank has been in the Gulf for a long time has offices in all major GCC states except in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and have plans to open new offices."
Talking about the investment climate in the backdrop of the world crisis, Varnholt said, "When you look at the local aspect the crisis clearly has bottomed out. Demand and supply are beginning to balance in the construction sector which was at the heart of the crisis in some GCC states. Demographic and economic growth will continue to narrow down that gaps."
Elaborating upon Sarasin GCC Equity Opportunities Fund which is an open-ended fund whose objective is long-term capital growth.
"The fund is designed in a very simple but powerful way and allows you to invest in smaller companies," he further said.
He said the Sarasin GCC Equity Opportunities Fund (USD) is intended to achieve long-term capital growth by investing in the equity markets of Qatar, Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The investment officer said that Bank Sarasin has received approvals from the Capital Market Authority (CMA) of Oman to market Islamic securities, products and services to its clientele, along with its existing advisory services in private banking.
"We are conscious of and keen on investing in shariah-compliant investments and have created several shariah-compliant investments in the last few years," he said.
"We also bring out an Islamic Wealth report every year and have been promoting Islamic commodity fund, water fund, equity fund and virtually all financial instruments that investors would expect from shariah-compliant offering," Varnholt further added.
"Our plan in the GCC is to maintain the robust growth that we have achieved. We had outstanding results over the last seven years and would like to continue further in boosting our revenues and expand our footprints across the Gulf Cooperation Council including India," he added.
© Times of Oman 2012
