Investment will allow Anoud Games to increase its product range and expand regionally

Ramallah, Palestine, 10 March 2013: The Abraaj Group, a leading investor operating in growth markets, today announced an investment by its Palestine Growth Capital Fund (PGCF) in Anoud Games, a producer of Arabic educational games and toys for children.

The Palestine Investment Fund (PIF), a leading institutional investor in Palestine and a cornerstone partner in PGCF, is also co-investing in the deal through the Sharakat Program, PIF's SME (small and medium enterprise) investment and financing platform. The investment by The Abraaj Group and PIF will help Anoud increase its product offering and reach more countries in the underserved Arabic educational games and toys niche.

Anoud Games was founded in 1996 and is currently one of the largest makers and distributors of educational toys in Palestine, with a head office in East Jerusalem. Abraaj will support Anoud in expanding its product range over the investment horizon and extending its geographic reach, allowing it to export its products regionally to serve the wider Arabic speaking audience.

Ahmed Badreldin, Partner and Head of MENA, The Abraaj Group, commented: "Our investment in Anoud Games underlines The Abraaj Group's commitment to the SME space in Palestine through our Palestine Growth Capital Fund. Anoud Games is now well-positioned to increase its product range and geographic reach in order to capitalize on the attractive regional demographic trends in this underserved subsector."

Dr. Mohammad Mustafa, Chairman and CEO of PIF, said: "Anoud Games represents Palestinian entrepreneurship and business resilience at their best. We are especially proud of this investment because the company is a Jerusalem-based Palestinian company. We look forward to Anoud's success in realizing its growth targets, and are certain that PIF's and Abraaj's involvement will provide Anoud with all the help and support it needs to achieve these objectives."

George Kusa and Rania Ghneim, Co-Founders of Anoud Games, said: "This transaction is an important milestone in our growth path. Our partnering with The Abraaj Group and the Palestine Investment Fund will act as a real catalyst in the accelerated development of our business in the region. We are convinced that Abraaj's planned operational enhancements will enable us to capitalize on the opportunities that our rapid expansion has created, by strengthening key functions such as business development."

The PGCF Fund aims to provide growth capital to promising businesses in Palestine that are backed by high impact entrepreneurs, while providing investors with long-term financial returns. PGCF aims to invest in diverse sectors that present consolidation and transformation opportunities in addition to export potential. This is the second investment for PGCF.

THE ABRAAJ GROUP
The Abraaj Group is a leading investor operating in the global growth markets of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. Employing over 300 people, the group has 33 country offices spread across 6 regional hubs in Bogota, Dubai, Istanbul, Mumbai, Nairobi and Singapore.

The Abraaj Group currently manages US$ 7.5 billion across 25 sector and country-specific funds encompassing private equity (majority and significant minority investments with ticket sizes of between US$ 10 million to US$ 100 million invested across a global mandate) and real estate (primarily yield-generating) investments.

Funds managed by the group have holdings in over 150 partner companies that create sustainable value in sectors including manufacturing, education, retail, aviation, oil and gas, financial payments infrastructure, healthcare and agribusiness. The group's current partner companies include industry leaders such as Network International, the largest independent payment solutions provider in the Middle East and Africa, NEP Holding, with its Diamond brand and a market leader in the residential filtration market of Malaysia with a growing presence in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Southern China, Brookside Dairy, the largest dairy in East Africa and, Iasacorp, a long established family run women's retail business in Peru.

The Abraaj Group is committed to the highest environmental, stakeholder engagement and corporate governance standards and is a signatory of the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investment and the United Nations Global Compact.

For more information, please contact RLM Finsbury:
emily.hargreaves@rlmfinsbury.com
+971 4 448 4282

© Press Release 2013