MANAMA: The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) announced that it will anchor the Aberdeen Standard Investcorp Infrastructure Partners’ (ASIIP) new regional fund by committing $90 million to its first close.
ASIIP had also received a capital commitment from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) for up to 20pc of the fund’s total size.
The fund aims to participate in the economic transformation of the GCC and the wider Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region.
With environmental, social and governance principles and the United Nations Sustainable Developments Goals (SDG) at the heart of its philosophy, the fund’s mission is to deliver solutions in health care, education, water, mobility and digital infrastructure that will benefit local communities and future generations.
The GCC needs to increase infrastructure investment urgently to accommodate a 30pc increase in population and a gradual increase in urbanisation. Given current fiscal pressures, attracting more private capital is the key to meeting this funding gap.
AIIB’s contribution will not only directly mobilise the private capital the region needs by helping secure its first close but will also provide a halo effect that will encourage other investors to contribute to the fund.
“We are excited to be partnering up with ASIIP and launch our first private investment in the Mena region. This partnership will enhance AIIB exposure to the region and allow us to work with the leading investments and developments institutions in the region to support the sustainable infrastructure in AIIB members, we look forward to working with the management team to identify vital infrastructure projects that will contribute positively to communities and future generations,” said Saud Al Sayyari, senior investment officer at AIIB.
Sir Michael Fallon, chairman of Aberdeen Standard Investcorp Infrastructure Partners said: “When we launched ASIIP, we combined Aberdeen Standard Investments’ strong track record of investing in social infrastructure projects with Investcorp’s long-standing experience in the region, creating a vehicle that invests in sustainable core infrastructure projects. With AIIB’s commitment, we will be able to contribute to the post Covid-19 economic recovery in countries across the Middle East while generating value for our shareholders.”
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