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Rothschild establishes Middle East presence at the Dubai International Financial Centre

  • United Arab Emirates: Tuesday, December 12 - 2006 at 08:36
  • PRESS RELEASE

Rothschild, one of the leading international investment banks, today announced it has been granted a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

His Excellency Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre, said: "It gives me great pleasure to welcome Rothschild to the DIFC, bringing as it does two centuries of banking and financial management experience to the Centre. It is encouraging to see this well-established and prestigious financial institution embarking on a long-term strategy to establish its presence in the region, which commences here in Dubai. We wish them all the best in their endeavors."

"Our presence at the DIFC comes after careful strategic evaluation," commented Lionel Zinsou, Head of Rothschild Middle East and Africa. "We are proud to be at the DIFC because the centre of the world's economic gravity is evolving, and our presence here enables us to add the necessary and important Middle Eastern link.

"Together with the Rothschild network in Europe, Asia and the US, our Middle East presence will provide a seamless global service,"


added Zinsou.

Rothschild's presence in Dubai will be led by Michael Helou, Co-Head of Investment Banking Middle East and supported by the Bank's team of senior, Arabic speaking bankers based in key financial centres around the world. The team has strong cross border advisory experience and will interact with industry sector and product specialists across the Rothschild Group.

The Rothschild family can trace its first banking client back to 1769. By 1830, the five Rothschild brothers who spread out from their Frankfurt home were the most successful international bankers of their age. This fundamental success remains evident today, with 750 investment bankers working across 22 countries focusing on advisory services.

The Rothschild reputation and unique experience is built upon carefully nurtured relationships and a precious quality prized above all else in financial markets: trust. This has enabled it to consistently advise Governments and some of the world's leading corporations on their investment decisions and strategy.
His Excellency Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, (centre), is seen with from left to right: Michael Helou, Co-Head of Investment Banking, Middle East; Alex Carre de Malberg, Co-Head Investment Banking Middle East; Lionel Zinsou, Rothschild's Head of Middle East and Africa and a general partner of the Rothschild Group; Mohamed Amersi, Senior Advisor, Middle-East, Russia and the CIS and member of Rothschild's European Advisory Council. 
His Excellency Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman, Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre Authority, (centre), is seen with from left to right: Michael Helou, Co-Head of Investment Banking, Middle East; Alex Carre de Malberg, Co-Head Investment Banking Middle East; Lionel Zinsou, Rothschild's Head of Middle East and Africa and a general partner of the Rothschild Group; Mohamed Amersi, Senior Advisor, Middle-East, Russia and the CIS and member of Rothschild's European Advisory Council.
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Notes and Media Contacts »

Rothschild is a leading international investment bank. The Group currently has over 30 offices operating in 22 countries, employing over 2,000 people worldwide. Rothschild is a market leader in the investment banking industry in Europe, particularly in the UK, France, Italy and Germany. It also has a strong presence in the US, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region.

Rothschild Investment banking provides the highest quality financial advice and execution expertise, encompassing Mergers & Acquisitions, Restructuring, Private Placements, Privatisations and Equity Capital Markets.

To find out more about Rothschild, please contact:
Michael Helou, Co-Head of Investment Banking Middle East
+44 (0)7775 60 2024

Lionel Zinsou, Rothschild's Head of Middle East and Africa and a general partner of the Rothschild Group
+33 (0)6 80 03 80 58

Mohamed Amersi, Senior Advisor, Middle-East, Russia and the CIS and member of Rothschild's European Advisory Council
+44 (0)7900 887888

Carlo dei Tedeschi, SAREEM Consultancy
04 3955912

To find out more about DIFC, please contact:
Amira Abdulla
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2433
Shaima Al Zarouni
Dubai International Financial Centre
Tel: +971 4 362 2432

The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) is an onshore hub for global finance. It bridges the time gap between the financial centers of Hong Kong and London and services a region with the largest untapped emerging market for financial services.

In just under two years, over 305 firms have registered at the DIFC. They operate in an open environment complemented with world-class regulations and standards. The DIFC offers its member institutions incentives such as 100 per cent foreign ownership, zero tax on income and profits and no restrictions on foreign exchange. In addition their business benefits from modern infrastructure, operational support and business continuity facilities of uncompromisingly high standards.

The DIFC is made up of the following core bodies:

1. The DIFC Authority (DIFCA) - Responsible for the Companies and Security Registries and attracting financial as well as non-financial institutions to set up in the DIFC. The DIFC Authority is also responsible for developing the financial services industry. (www.difc.ae)

2. The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) - An independent, unitary regulatory authority, responsible for the regulation of all DIFC operations. Its principle-based primary legislation is modeled on that used in London and New York and its regulatory regime operates to standards that meet or exceed those in major financial centers. (www.dfsa.ae)

3. The DIFC Courts - An independent court system set up to uphold the provisions of DIFC laws and regulations, the courts provide comprehensive legal redress in civil and commercial matters within the DIFC. The DIFC Courts system is especially designed to deal with all of sophisticated transactions that will be conducted within DIFC. The DIFC Court laws, based on the common law, not only sets out the jurisdiction of the court but also provides for a dispute resolution services, including arbitration and mediation, thus allowing for the independent administration of justice in the DIFC. ( www.difccourts.ae)

DIFC Investments- The creation of DIFC Investments will result in the allocation to it of all non public administration activities previously carried out by DIFC Authority. This will include amongst other things all commercial and other activities such as the operation and management of any current and future subsidiaries, the development of the centre's investment strategy and relevant policies and any other strategic investments or alliances which will further the goals and objectives of the Dubai International Financial Centre and contribute to the fulfillment of the Centre's vision. Some of the companies and organizations that DIFC Investments owns include:

1. The Dubai International Financial Exchange (DIFX) The DIFX is the region's first international financial exchange for equities, bonds, Islamic products, funds, index products and (subject to regulatory approval) derivatives. The target areas of the DIFX for seeking issuers include the Middle East and North Africa, as well as South Africa, Turkey and the Indian sub-continent. The regulator of the DIFX is the Dubai Financial Services Authority. The DIFX is located in the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and its owner is the DIFC Authority. (www.difx.ae)

2. Hawkamah- the first Institute for Corporate Governance in the region, has been established in partnership with a group of international institutions, including the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), UAE Ministry of Finance and Industry, Centre for
International Private Enterprise (CIPE), International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Union of Arab Banks (UAB), Dubai School of Government (DSG), Young Arab Leaders (YAL), and the Institute of Management Development (IMD). (www.hawkamah.org) .

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