SICO BSC (c), a leading regional asset manager, broker, and investment bank, with direct presence in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, has been named Best Investment Bank in Bahrain at the 2026 Global Finance World’s Best Investment Banks Awards. This prestigious recognition marks the seventh consecutive year SICO has received the title, following its sixth win in 2025. The award confirms SICO’s standing as a trusted financial institution that provides strategic advisory services and executes high-profile transactions to support economic growth and capital market maturity across the MENA region.

SICO’s Group CEO, Najla Al Shirawi, expressed her satisfaction with the bank's consistent performance, stating, "SICO’s recognition as Bahrain’s Best Investment Bank for the seventh consecutive year reflects our team’s deep commitment to providing high-quality advisory services and executing strategic deals across the region. Our ability to lead landmark transactions like the Ma’aden acquisition of a stake in Alba and the Silah Gulf IPO demonstrates our role in shaping the investment landscape and driving value for our stakeholders. We remain committed to reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a leading financial center through a comprehensive suite of solutions grounded in experience and discipline, alongside a continued focus on building trust and fostering long-term client relationships.”

Global Finance editors selected the winners based on criteria such as market share, deal volume and size, structuring capabilities, and overall market reputation for deals announced or completed throughout 2025. The 2026 honorees were recognized for their ability to pair trusted advice with innovation and disciplined execution in a shifting global landscape.

Throughout 2025, SICO Investment Banking successfully executed several high-profile mandates that emphasized its diverse expertise and leadership in the market. The firm acted as the execution agent and broker for a landmark USD 1 billion transaction where the Saudi Arabian Mining Company, also known as Ma’aden, acquired a 20.62% stake in Aluminum Bahrain (ALBA). In the public markets, SICO served as the lead manager, listing agent, price stabilizer, and liquidity provider for the Silah Gulf IPO on the Bahrain Bourse Main Market. This 100% primary issuance was highly successful, attracting total demand of BHD 11.4 million and resulting in a subscription rate that was 4.0 times oversubscribed.

SICO also continued to advance innovative capital market solutions, acting as the lead manager and receiving bank for a BHD 12 million capital raise for Solidarity Bahrain through the issuance of Sharia-compliant Tier 1 preference shares. The bank was also appointed as financial advisor and lead manager for Flooss Bahrain’s proposed securitization sukuk of up to USD 10 million, which represents the first-ever securitization of microfinancing assets in the Kingdom. Additionally, SICO partnered with Albaraka Portfolio Management Company to launch the Albaraka Türk Values & Wealth Türkiye Sukuk Fund, the first Türkiye-focused Sukuk fund in Bahrain with a targeted size of USD 50 million.

With three decades of experience, SICO remains the top broker on the Bahrain Bourse. The bank continues to invest in its human capital and regional research team to provide a comprehensive suite of financial solutions across asset management, brokerage, and investment banking.

About SICO

SICO is a leading regional asset manager, broker, and investment bank with USD 8.2 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 its 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.

Media Contact:

Ms. Nadeen Oweis
Head of Corporate Communications, SICO
Email: noweis@sicobank.com

Media Contact:

Ms. Nadeen Oweis
Head of Corporate Communications, SICO
Email: noweis@sicobank.com