19 October 2016

Manama, Doha – TAKAUD, the specialist provider of savings and pension solutions for the MENA region, announced today a strategic partnership with Amwal, Qatar’s first regulated investment company, which is wholly owned by its Founder and Chairperson, Sheikha Hanadi Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani. The agreement was signed at the Four Seasons Hotel, Manama, following the Middle East and North Africa Pensions Conference, on October 18, 2016.

The partnership will enable the two firms to capitalise on their respective strengths resulting in enhanced investment propositions for both TAKAUD and Amwal clients. TAKAUD will add Amwal’s fund range to its platform, enabling its clients and those of TAKAUD’s other partners throughout the MENA region, to have access to Amwal’s investment expertise.

TAKAUD will also provide Amwal with access to its fund and administration platform.  By doing so, Amwal will now be able to offer its clients TAKAUD’s carefully due diligenced investment solutions provided by global and regional asset managers, including a Sharia fund range. Amwal’s extensive investment selection expertise will then enable it to create bespoke portfolios for its clients, with wider geographical and asset-class coverage. The strength of TAKAUD’s administration platform will ensure that all clients will receive a first-class customer experience. 

Amwal’s growing corporate client base will also now be able to offer corporate retirement and pension schemes, with TAKAUD’s expert support. TAKAUD will provide its specialist corporate pension services, allowing companies large and small to set up and provide Employee Savings Schemes. These schemes broaden and greatly enhance the value proposition for employees, helping companies recruit, reward and retain key staff.

TAKAUD CEO Luc Métivier said, “TAKAUD is honoured to have been chosen by Amwal as the strategic partner that can offer clients the most scope for a wide range of investments. We are proud to offer the technological and administrative support necessary to expand the offering available to Amwal’s corporate and individual clients. At the same time, we believe that Amwal’s award-winning funds will be a welcome addition to TAKAUD’s Core Range of funds. This is a partnership that has the potential to grow both companies through our complementary expertise.”

Amwal’s Chairperson Sheikha Hanadi bin Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani said, “This strategic partnership between our two entities is based on the many areas where we complement each other. Together, we are stronger, paving the way to capturing new opportunities. By combining TAKAUD’s open architecture and third party administration platform with Amwal’s considerable market presence and asset/fund management expertise, we believe we will be able to create a strong, long-standing and mutually beneficial partnership.”

-Ends- 

About Takaud Savings and Pensions B.S.C (c)
TAKAUD Savings and Pensions B.S.C. (c) is licensed as an Investment Business Firm (Category 1) by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) and is a closed joint stock company incorporated in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

TAKAUD provides long term savings, investment and pension solutions to individuals and corporations in the local and expatriate communities across the MENA region.

TAKAUD is 50% owned by Kuwait Projects Company (Holding) K.S.C. (c) (KIPCO) and 50% by United Gulf Bank, a member of the KIPCO Group.

The KIPCO Group is one of the biggest holding companies in the Middle East and North Africa, with consolidated assets of US$ 33 billion as at 30 June, 2016. The Group has significant ownership interests in over 60 companies operating across 26 countries. The group’s main business sectors are financial services, media, real estate and manufacturing. Through its core companies, subsidiaries and affiliates, KIPCO also has interests in the education and medical sectors.

About AMWAL:
Amwal is Qatar’s first regulated Investment Company and is wholly-owned by its Founder and Chairperson, Sheikha Hanadi Nasser bin Khaled Al Thani. Amwal is authorised by the Qatar Financial Centre Regulatory Authority (QFCRA) and is a leading independent asset management firm serving institutional clients, family offices and high net worth individuals.

For over a decade Amwal has been a leading innovator in Qatar’s financial services industry and has a proven track record. It was the first to offer financial planning and wealth management, first mutual funds, first Islamic mezzanine private equity funds and created Qatar’s first money market fund. 

Amwal is managing and advising institutions such as Pension Funds, Banks, Corporates and Family Groups across asset classes and strategies, as one of Qatar’s only independent  asset management company with regional  expertise in GCC, has lead to several blue chip institutional relationships such as Investment House’ ( QIPCO Group ) Beit Al Mali Sharia Fund  , Qatar Gate Fund (sponsored by Ahli Bank) and Al Hayer GCC Fund (sponsored by Doha Bank) and most recently In Europe Germany’s Donner & Reuschel GCC UCTIS Fund. Amwal is also currently awaiting regulatory approval on its ETF listed on the Qatar Stock Exchange.

Amwal has received a number of high profile accolades, including Best Asset Manager in Qatar from EMEA Finance for 5 consecutive years( 2011-2015) ; Best Investment Bank in Qatar from World Finance (2012); and Qatar Deal of the Year from Islamic Finance News (2008).

Qatar Gate Fund, managed by Amwal, was also ranked the number one equity fund in the MENA region in 2013 by MENA FM. 

TAKAUD Savings and Pensions B.S.C. (c), 
UGB Tower 7th Floor | Diplomatic Area |P.O Box 65167| Manama| Kingdom of Bahrain 
Office: (+973) 17511611 
Email: info@takaud.com 
www.takaud.com

© Press Release 2016