HC Securities & Investment Acted as the Exclusive Financial Advisor to Savola Group

Cairo, Egypt, October 30th, 2011: HC Securities & Investment (http://www.hcsi.com) is pleased to announce it has successfully acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Savola Group (http://www.savola.com) on the acquisition of 78% stake of Al-Malika Food Industries S.A.E. and Al-Farasha Food Industries S.A.E. (http://www.elmaleka.net); both companies are specialized in the manufacturing and marketing of Pasta inside and outside Egypt. The transaction value was 556.5 Million Egyptian Pounds.

Savola Group is one of the largest diversified conglomerates in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia region based in Saudi Arabia. The company was established in 1979 to become now one of the most successful and fastest growing food groups with a wide portfolio of businesses including Edible Oils, Sugar, Retail and Packaging. Savola Group also owns 30% stake in the Middle East's largest dairy firm, Almarai.

Al-Malika and Al-Farasha Food Industries are the market leaders in Egypt's Pasta market holding approximately a 30% market share. The companies own two factories in Egypt with a production capacity of 120,000 tons per year and produce under two main brand names " El MALEKA and Italiano". Their products are sold in Egypt and exported to several countries.

The acquisition of Al-Malika and Al-Farasha Food Industries will allow Savola Group to further expand its primary product range of food products, in addition to integrating the Group's existing efforts throughout Egypt in the edible oil and sugar sectors.

Hussein Chourci, Chairman and Managing Director of HC Securities and Investment, commented on the transaction "We are proud with our continuous success in assisting our clients across the MENA region in achieving their goals and contributing to their value creation process. I hope this transaction will boost investors' confidence in the Egyptian market during this transition period".  

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About HC Securities and Investment
HC Securities & Investment (HC) is a leading non-banking financial institution in the Middle East & North Africa region. It offers its clients a wide range of services in Investment Banking, Asset Management, Securities Brokerage, Research and Custody.

HC has become one of the leading companies enjoying long term, outstanding performance. It has wide regional presence through its own offices and strong alliances in the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and the United Kingdom.

HC has extensive experience and a variety of different specialties, all executed with a high degree of professionalism. This enables it to strike a balance between the highest global standards and local needs.

© Press Release 2011