“Markaz” has entered 2022 with five new major financial industry awards, marking 2021 as another year of leading asset management and investment services rendered to clients across the MENA Region. Markaz received these accolades from EMEA Finance, Global Finance and Global Investor magazines. This string of high-profile awards can be attributed to the company’s innovative practices, sustainable growth and resilience in the pandemic and post-pandemic market, geographical reach across over 13 countries, unrivaled customer satisfaction and more.
The regional EMEA Finance magazine’s Middle East Banking Awards 2021 named Markaz the ‘Best Investment Bank in Kuwait’, ‘Best Asset Manager in Kuwait’ for the ninth consecutive year and the winner of the ‘Sustainability Award in the Middle East’. Markaz was also named the ‘Best Investment Bank in Kuwait’ by Global Finance magazine for the 10th time in 11 years. It was also honored with the ‘MENA Real Estate Asset Manager of the Year’ title by Global Investor magazine. Since its inception in 1974, Markaz has won over 60 awards from leading regional and global financial institutions.
Commenting on the company’s string of wins, Mr. Diraar Yusuf Alghanim, Chairman of Markaz, said: “We will look back at 2021 as the year where Markaz truly proved itself as an industry leader that held the unshakable trust of its clients, stakeholders and the financial community at large throughout the trying pandemic months, with our dedicated teams delivering the same peerless services and products without fail. A prudent and research-driven approach is what has kept us at the forefront and given us one of our best performing years in recent memory. We thank the financial community for its recognition through these prestigious awards.”
EMEA Finance’s ‘The Sustainability Award in the Middle East’ recognizes the company’s efforts to deliver on its environmental, social and corporate (ESG) commitments. In its continued endeavors to create a meaningful impact on the communities it serves and positively contribute to building a strong and sustainable economy in Kuwait, Markaz has adopted a social and economic responsibility strategy. It hinges on three pillars – building human capacity, aligning its business environment with the principles of sustainable development, and promoting good governance in the business environment.
Markaz also received the ‘Best Investment Bank in Kuwait’ from EMEA Finance, due to its unmatched capabilities in investment banking spanning equity and debt issuance, mergers and acquisitions (M&As), restructuring financial liabilities and other advisory transactions spanning nearly 50 years. With its independence and breadth of experience giving it an edge in the market, Markaz has, since 1997, executed over KD 1.55 billion in investment banking transactions as of 30 June 2021.
The company was named EMEA Finance’s ‘Best Asset Manager in Kuwait’ thanks to its long-term bottom-up investment approach along with active liquidity management. Markaz offers full-fledged services in asset management including Investment Advisory Services, GCC and International Investments, Private Equities, as well as customized investment solutions across mutual funds and specific portfolio management. As of 30 September 2021, Markaz’ total Assets Under Management (AUM) amounted to over KD 1.053 billion. In addition, Markaz launched Market Maker services in the past year.
Markaz also took home Global Investor’s 2021 ‘MENA Real Estate Asset Manager of the Year’ award, which recognizes outstanding performance across asset management, fund administration, and wealth management, among many others. This distinction is a testament to Markaz’s excellence in serving institutions and individuals seeking to unlock the investment potential of real estate asset classes in the region, operating at the highest industry standards, under the oversight of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK), the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and Boursa Kuwait. Markaz brings over 30 years of experience in the real estate sector, and 18 years of actively managing real estate assets across the MENA region. The Company also manages real estate investments in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and internationally, including a KD 250 million Real Estate Portfolio, KD 70 million for Markaz Real Estate Fund, and several income-generating properties across Kuwait and GCC, including customized-discretionary portfolios.
As the ten-time winner of Global Finance Magazine’s ‘Best Investment Bank in Kuwait’ award, Markaz continues to distinguish itself through its unmatched quality of service, market share, innovation, pricing and more.
Disclaimer:
This press release has been prepared for informational purposes on Markaz and its activities and is not prepared for promotional purposes. Investments are subject to market risks and there can be no assurance or guarantee on future performance and returns; and potential investors need to review information available in official investment documents before making any investment decisions. More information can be obtained from the Markaz website (www.markaz.com) or by contacting us on (+965 2224 8000).