Bonds, Loans & Sukuk Middle East

Angad is Head of Fixed Income at Emirates NBD Asset Management, having previously been Senior Portfolio Manager since October 2014. He has been with the business for more than nine years, having joined in 2010 as a Senior Credit Analyst. Angad is the lead manager for the UCITS-compliant MENA Fixed Income Fund and the Global Sukuk Fund, which have outperformed their respective benchmarks for most years since 2010. He has also had an active part in doubling Fixed Income Assets Under Management (AUM) since 2013 – to under USD3 billion for year-end 2019.

Prior to joining the team, Angad was Senior Analyst at Prime Emirates from 2008 to 2010, having previously been an Associate in Financial Services Advisory at Ernst & Young in New York and a Financial Analyst at Real Value Investments in Mumbai. He holds an MBA from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in New York and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting and Auditing from the University of Mumbai. Angad has CFA designation and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Emirates Society.

Roderick Gordon has over 16 years’ Investment Banking and Debt Capital Markets experience and has advised on, arranged, placed and financed over US$50 billion of internationally syndicated debt capital markets issuances and syndicated loans for major international companies and GCC sovereigns, supranationals and corporates.

Rod joined GIB to establish the DCM business in 2010. Prior to joining GIB he worked in Bahrain at Arab Banking Corporation in Debt Capital Markets and Acquisition Finance and Unicorn Investment Bank in Islamic Debt Capital Markets.

Prior to moving to Bahrain in 2007, he worked at Dresdner Kleinwort Benson, London, for over 5 years as Vice President covering Capital Markets Origination, Acquisition Finance and Structured Finance. He also worked for KPMG, London, in the Corporate Finance Debt Advisory team.

Rod has a Masters Degree in Quantum and Solid State Physics from the University of Durham, UK.

GIB, the Gulf’s international bank, helps its clients thrive by working together to realise ambitions. It brings and activates insightful ideas that enable progress. GIB aims to be the preferred financial services partner, delivering bespoke banking solutions to a wide customer base in the region and beyond. This includes corporate banking, asset management, debt and equity capital market services, financial advisory services, mergers and acquisitions, and the world’s first Shariah compliant digital retail banking service, meem by GIB.

In addition to its main subsidiaries, London-based GIB (UK) Ltd., and Riyadh-based GIB Capital LLC, it has branches in London, New York, Abu Dhabi, Dhahran, Riyadh and Jeddah with a representative office in Dubai.

Kathy is an Investment Manager on the EMD team at Aberdeen Standard Investments where she specialises in corporate debt. The team manages US$16bn in global EMD assets, with just over US$3bn in dedicated global emerging market corporate debt portfolios. Kathy joined Aberdeen Standard Investments in June 2009, and the Emerging Market Debt desk as a credit analyst in 2012. Since then her research coverage has expanded across Latam, CEE, Middle East and Africa. Previously, she completed a year’s internship at Standard Chartered Private Bank in New York as part of the Mountbatten Internship Programme. She graduated with a BSc in Economics from St. Andrews University and is a CFA Charterholder.

With nearly 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, Aditya has led and worked across origination and execution platforms at Trussbridge, ADIB, Nomura, Lehman Brothers, E&Y and Arthur Andersen. He worked in London, Dubai and Mumbai. He has bookrun deals in excess of several billions of dollars of landmark financings, across the conventional and Islamic space, for governments, supra-nationals, corporates and financial institutions worldwide.

Aditya is a ranking Chartered Accountant from India and has a MBA from London Business School.

Established in 1967, Mashreq is the oldest privately held Bank in the UAE with award winning financial solutions and services. Throughout its 50 years' history, Mashreq has differentiated itself through innovative financial solutions, making it possible for its customers to achieve their aspirations. Today, Mashreq has a significant presence in 11 countries outside the UAE with 21 overseas branches and offices across Europe, USA, Asia and Africa.

Mr. Ahmed AlShubbar is the Group Vice President, Group Treasury & Strategy for Rawabi Holding Group Mr. AlShubbar’s responsibilities include overseeing the group's Treasury, Corporate Finance, Bank Relations, Cash Flow Management, Insurance and most importantly Strategy. Mr. AlShubbar brings a wealth of banking experience that covers Corporate Banking and Investment Banking (Debt Capital Markets and Debt Advisory) for over 12 years with reputable banks such as National Commercial Bank (NCB), Samba Financial Group, Banque Saudi Fransi (BSF) and Gulf International Bank (GIB) where he recently served as Vice President in Investment Banking. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Economics from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) Business School. He attended and participated in many training programs and conferences in related areas such as Credit Risk Management, Corporate Finance and Global Markets, Bonds, Loans & Sukuk to name a few.

Andalib has 16+ years of experience in origination, structuring, execution and distribution of syndicated loan transactions across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Andalib heads up the Loan Syndicate & Distribution team at First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) and is based in Abu Dhabi. He and his team are responsible for all loan underwriting, bookrunning, primary syndication and secondary market activity by FAB.

Andalib joined FAB in February 2015 from Standard Chartered Bank, UK. With Standard Chartered, he previously worked in London, Singapore and Dhaka covering loan markets and investors across Europe, Africa and South Asia.

Andalib has bookrun in excess of USD 200 billion of landmark financings for many of the most sophisticated supranationals, governments, corporates and financial institutions. Andalib holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing.

With over 25 years of Loan and Debt Capital Market experience, Eric is a Managing Director and Head of CEEMEA Origination, Loan Capital Markets, at SMBCE responsible for the origination and structuring of loans for corporates and financial institutions across the full regional and borrower spectrum. Before joining SMBC in 2011, he was employed at Commerzbank New York, Frankfurt and London, where he held various head positions including loans and bonds origination. Eric is a certified Attorney at Law and has worked as such in Germany and the US. Eric is also a member of a group of authors that triennially publish a practical textbook on syndicated lending for borrowers, banking professionals, lawyers and auditors in German language

Zain is a Director in the Loans and Acquisition Finance team at Citi and responsible for all syndicated loan financing in the Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan. In addition to his regional coverage, Zain is also responsible for syndicated loan transactions for shipping clients within the broader EMEA region.

Zain has been with Citi for over 16 years between New York, London and Dubai and has provided debt origination, execution, structuring and advisory services to clients over this time related to loans, bonds, and securitization. His client list has spanned the full credit spectrum from sovereigns and strong investment grade names to high yield issuers.

During his time at Citi, Zain has had strong experience with transportation assets and infrastructure financing but has spent the last 7 years focused on corporate loans covering Sovereigns, GREs, Corporates and FIs from the Middle East.

Hitesh joined Emirates NBD Capital in 2008 and has been instrumental in the development of the investment banking franchise of the Emirates NBD Group. Hitesh is responsible for a dedicated DCM desk and the origination and syndication of debt capital markets, liability management and structured finance mandates.

Hitesh worked on the first Sukuk issuance in 2005 and since then he has advised various governments, financial institutions, blue chip and mid-cap corporates on their Islamic and conventional financing strategies and access to debt capital markets. He has successfully raised over USD 60 billion for Middle East, Asian and Turkish issuers

Hitesh holds a BCom in Accounting and Economics from Sydenham College, India and a postgraduate management degree from HEC Paris (Grande École), France

Sarah has over 18 years of corporate and investment banking experience having worked across a number of banking divisions such as Project & Export Finance, Asset Finance, Structured Finance, Structured Trade Finance & Financing Solutions and Client Relationships across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East

She joined FAB in May 2016 from Standard Chartered Bank where she held a number of senior roles including but not limited to; Regional Head of Asset Finance & Leasing, Regional Head of Structured Export Finance, ASEAN Coordinator for Structured Trade Finance and Financing solutions etc.

Sarah is well versed with the European and Asian Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) having originated, lead and concluded several landmark, award winning Project & Export finance transactions and advisory assignments for regional and international clients across Asia, Africa & the Middle East. She also successfully established the Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) platform for FAB

Sarah also has significant experience in the corporate finance space including Asset Finance having successfully delivered bespoke financing solutions to clients across sectors such as mining, construction and aviation - both to Airlines and Lessors demonstrating ability to support the sector in multiple ways

Sarah holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Institute of Business Administration Karachi (Pakistan)

Debashis Dey is a partner in White & Case’s Capital Markets Practice based in the UAE. He has more than 20 years of expertise and has extensive global experience advising international and domestic investment banks, corporates and governments on capital markets, securitisation and all types of structured finance, project bonds, Islamic finance Sukuk transactions, regulatory capital transactions, commercial, residential mortgages and consumer finance and other asset classes. His transaction experience covers various jurisdictions, including the GCC (UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia), Europe, the US and Asia. His experience includes leading on numerous product innovations in conventional and Islamic finance, including transactions such the first covered bond in the US, the first convertible Sukuk structure for Aldar PJSC, 'first-time' securitisations in Europe and the Middle East as well as convertible and straight debt issues for corporates in the Reg S and Rule 144A markets. Debashis has recently advised the joint lead managers on the first UK Government Export Credit Agency Guaranteed pre-funded Sukuk for an aircraft financing in the UAE, the joint lead managers on the Republic of Turkey's third Sukuk issuance, a UAE based company on its public equity-linked offering and update of its Rule 144a/Reg S GMTN programme and the structuring bank and joint lead managers on the United Kingdom's inaugural £200 million Sukuk issuance. Debashis is regularly noted in legal directories as being “Truly fabulous” and “frank in terms of what is doable and what the hurdles would be - he lays things out clearly for clients.” - Chambers & Partners Global, 2015.

Dilawer Farazi is a Portfolio Manager at Royal London Asset Management, responsible for Emerging Market corporate bonds within the Global Credit team. Dilawer has 15 years of experience investing in EM, has held portfolio manager and analyst positions at GIB Asset Management, ADIC and Loomis Sayles, working in London and the Middle East. Dilawer has a BA in Law & Economics from Queen Mary’s, University of London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales.

Franck Nowak is a senior research analyst for Franklin Templeton Investments (Middle East) Limited. Mr. Nowak joined the investment team in 2012 to lead our research efforts and augment our investment processes for Global Sukuk and MENA fixed income. Mr. Nowak previously worked for Moody's Investors Service in both London and Dubai where he was responsible for non-bank ratings in the CEEMEA region. Mr. Nowak holds a bachelor's degree in commercial law and a master's degree in management, both from Rouen Business School in France.

As one of the first global asset management firms to establish local asset management capabilities in India (1993) and in South Korea (1997), Franklin Templeton is a pioneer in local asset management. Our goal is to manage each local business on a global scale, focusing on local investing, benchmarks and client needs, while drawing on the deep resources and global presence of the broader Franklin Templeton organization. Each local office (or strategic alliance) employs a truly "local" investment process that gives managers flexibility in investment decisions.

Since 1993, Franklin Templeton has developed or invested in local asset management capabilities — local portfolio managers investing locally — in several countries, including:

• India

• Brazil

• Japan

• South Korea

• Canada

• China (joint venture)

• Vietnam (joint venture)

• Middle East/North Africa

Mahmoud has over 15 years of aggregate experience in banking and corporate finance services. He is currently a key member of the debt capital markets team at GIB Capital. He has played leading roles in several high profile bond and Sukuk transactions for GCC sovereigns and quasi-sovereign issuers, including the first Basel 3 compliant Sukuk in Saudi Arabia. Through his career he has worked with clients in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait and Egypt. Prior to joining GIB Capital in Nov 2011, Mahmoud was part of the Strategy Management and earlier the Corporate Finance team at Bank ABC. His role included leading acquisition finance and mergers and acquisitions on behalf of clients and later on behalf of Bank ABC, in addition to overlooking the strategy implementation. Prior to that, Mahmoud was part of the Corporate Finance and Advisory team at Standard Chartered Bank, Dubai. Earlier he worked for Barclays Bank – Egypt, where he was part of the Corporate Credit team, responsible for managing a loan portfolio and later on he assumed the role of Structured Credit Manager.

Through these different roles Mahmoud has been exposed to some of the key transactions that have taken place in the GCC and Egypt, giving him an unparalleled experience in leading DCM and debt advisory transactions coupled with the competency that comes from being full engaged throughout the life cycle of transactions, whether in advisory or debt financing.

Bashar Al Natoor is Fitch Rating’s Global Head Islamic Finance. Mr Al Natoor is responsible for coordinating all Islamic Finance activities across Fitch’s Sovereign, Financial Institutions, Corporate, Structured Finance, Infrastructure and Insurance teams, bringing together dedicated analytical and industry expertise into a centralised and focused Islamic finance group.

Mr Al Natoor has more than 16 years' experience in the Islamic Finance market. Since joining Fitch in 2007, he has overseen Fitch's Sukuk criteria and Islamic Finance practices, undertaken research and written numerous published articles on Islamic Finance. Mr Al Natoor Joined Fitch as a director in the EMEA Corporates group based in Dubai. He was responsible for analysing EMEA issuers, with focus on Middle East and Turkish issuers in the construction, property and Telecommunication sectors. Prior to joining Fitch, Mr. Al Natoor spent seven years at the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) in key roles including Investment Officer in the Treasury Department, a Senior Credit Analyst in Risk Management and Senior Technical Assistant to the Vice President of Finance & Administration. Before working with IDB, Mr Al Natoor was a senior auditor for four years in Arthur Andersen.

Mr Al Natoor graduated with an MSc in banking and financial studies from the Arab Academy for Finance and Banking Science and a BS in finance and banking from Amman University. Bashar is also a Certified Bank Auditor (CBA), a Certified Risk Professional (CRP), a Chartered Market Analyst (FAD-CMA), and a Certified Risk Analyst (CRA).

Rizwan Kanji’s practice focuses on debt capital markets, finance and securitizations using both conventional and Islamic finance structures.

He advises investment banks, financial institutions, multilateral development banks, sovereign states, insurance companies and multinational regional corporations on high-profile transactions across the Middle East, Turkey and Africa.

Widely considered one of the leading lawyers within Islamic finance, Rizwan has earned a reputation for advising on “first of its kind” transactions.

Global directories, Chambers and Partners have consecutively ranked Mr. Kanji as one of the world's leading Islamic finance and debt capital markets lawyers. Clients are highly impressed with his breadth of expertise, elaborating: "His problem-solving skills and pragmatic approach to transactions are invaluable” and “He has a lot of attention to detail and is very attentive to his clients.”

Director, Fixed Income Asset Management, did a team move to setup the fixed income asset management business in Arqaam Capital. Zeina has 10 years of investment experience in the Global Credit Market, with a 6-year track record of co-managing Conventional Global Credit fund and a 3-year track record of co-managing Shari’ah Global Credit Fund. The Shari'ah fund won the best Shari'ah Fund in 2014 and 2015. Zeina was previously a fixed income advisor and a member of the management of a global fixed Income fund domiciled in Luxembourg. She also held a position as a credit and market risk supervisor, she also worked in securitization part of the structuring of asset-backed securitization deals. Zeina is a CFA Charterholder since 2011.

Lijiya comes with more than 18 years of Debt Market experience. She holds an MBA in Finance & Marketing and has been a core deal team member in various Structured & Project Finance deals in the UAE. She joined FGB in 2006 and prior to that she was with HSBC CIBM and was dealing with regional deals and transactions in various sectors along with providing coverage of strategic customers. Lijiya is a key deal team member in many of the large Debt Market syndicated transactions in the region which involved structuring, negotiation of terms and execution of deals where she has led the deal team that acted in the senior capacity of Debt Advisor, Initial Mandated Lead Arrangers, Coordinating Bank and Book running roles for Corporate, Acquisition Finance, FI/NBFI deals, Leverage finance, Project and Structured Finance, Asset Backed financing, Hybrid facility structures etc. Currently she is the Managing Director & Head of Syndication Finance, Loan Capital Markets under the Global Corporate Finance with FAB which addresses the flow business from Corporates, GRE’s, Sovereigns, NBFI’s and FI’s.

Umera Ali is a banking & finance partner at DWF Middle East advising on both conventional and Islamic finance matters, and also leads the firms Islamic finance practice.

She advises lenders, financial institutions, funds, sponsors, borrowers, and issuers in corporate and structured finance transactions, including secured and unsecured, syndicated and bilateral loans, asset finance, Islamic finance, supply chain finance, trade finance and debt capital market transactions.

Umera has significant experience having worked in six different jurisdictions. She has built her practice by concentrating on making connections and acting as a strategic partner, and not just a counsel, for her clients. She takes a highly practical and pragmatic approach to providing legal services and brings an understanding of cultural conventions and sensitivities when working on a transaction.

Umera is interested in innovation, sustainable power source, and environmental change, and fuses that with her practice by working with Fintech and Cleantech companies and advising on sustainable finance and carbon credit trading.

Cian is a Senior Investment Officer at Colchester Global Investors and has been with the firm since 2013. Cian manages both developed and emerging market bond portfolios and conducts sovereign balance sheet research at the firm. He began his career in 2002 with the Central Bank of Ireland before moving into asset management with Bank of Ireland Asset Management. In 2011 he joined State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) in London where he was a senior portfolio manager on the active global fixed income team. Cian graduated from University College Cork with a degree in Commerce and German, before obtaining a Masters in Investment and Treasury from Dublin City University. He is a CFA charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of the UK.

Iman is responsible for Citigroup’s Middle East & North Africa Debt Capital Markets Business, based in Dubai. In her current role, she advises sovereigns, corporates and financial institutions on access to the international bond & Sukuk markets. Iman’s career spans 18 years with Citigroup in various roles. She holds a BA in Business Administration from the American University in Cairo.

Citi has been present in the Middle East for more than 50 years, primarily through Citibank. The bank is directly represented in main markets, including the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, Bahrain, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. It has more than 30 branches and offices in the region. Across the region, the bank offers a range of corporate finance services, including securitization, project & structured trade finance, syndication and advisory.

In 2006, Citi opened its regional Middle East office at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) following approval by the Dubai Financial Services Authority to operate as an authorized firm at the DIFC in mid-2006. Today, the DIFC houses Citi's Middle East Division management, Investment Banking and Equity businesses in the MENA region along with Islamic Banking and non-UAE regional banking businesses. In 2007, the bank established a dedicated MENA-level equity research team covering major sectors (banks, construction, telecom) operating out of the DIFC.

Citi's journey in the United Arab Emirates started in 1964 when Citibank, a member of Citi, opened its first branch in Dubai followed by Abu Dhabi in 1971. Since then, the bank has been known for delivering excellence and consistently introducing world-class banking products and services to UAE market.

Sharif Eid is a portfolio manager for Franklin Templeton Investments (Middle East) Limited. Mr. Eid joined the Global Sukuk and MENA Fixed Income investment team in April 2009 as a research analyst where he helped develop the group's fundamental research process and production. Mr. Eid was promoted to portfolio manager in 2011 and is currently the co-manager of the FTIF GCC Bond Fund and co-manager of Global Sukuk institutional accounts.

Prior to joining Franklin Templeton Investments (Middle East) Limited, formerly Algebra Capital, Mr. Eid worked for TD Securities in Toronto as a trader. He rotated through credit, FX and interest rate option desks.

Mr. Eid holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering and a master's degree in mathematical finance, both from the University of Toronto.

FTIML-Dubai is an active, research-driven, team-based manager which aims to achieve superior long-term investment performance against relevant benchmarks and to provide excellent, value-added client service through the Franklin, Templeton and Mutual Series investment groups. The fund management team performs bottom-up research to manage assets in private and public markets across all asset classes. Their services are packaged as fund solutions, discretionary mandates or structured products.

Franklin Templeton launched a dedicated bond fund aimed at capitalising on the growing debt market in the Gulf region which was supported by portfolio Sharif Eid.

James Sadler is Head of Debt Financing Origination for the MENAT region at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He has more than 14 years' experience in originating and executing financing transactions for corporates, sovereigns and banks in the CEEMEA region, having previously focused on hybrid and regulatory capital instruments for European issuers. He has recently executed financings for the Abu Dhabi and Qatar sovereigns, Mubadala, First Abu Dhabi Bank, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Emirates NBD, Damac, and QNB. James joined BofAML in August 2015, having previously worked at BNP Paribas in Bahrain and UBS in London. He holds an MA in Philosophy, Politics & Economics from Oxford University.

For more than 200 years, Bank of America has been helping people around the world connect with what matters most to them. The company is one of the world's leading financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk management products and services.

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