FFA Private Bank launched

With a shareholder's equity of approximately USD25 million, FFA Private Bank is the country's only independent private bank.

Launched during a media conference held in Intercontinental Phoenicia Hotel, the new FFA Private Bank promises to be "home to all your investment needs", by offering specialized services and investment advice and solutions to both institutional and high net-worth investors in areas such as Wealth Management, Capital Markets, Fund Management, Real Estate and Investment Banking.

From financial institution to private bank

FFA Private Bank was originally founded in 1994 as "Financial Funds Advisors International", a brokerage firm focused on delivering financial advice and mutual funds distribution. Two years later, it became regulated by the Banque Du Liban and a member of the Beirut Stock Exchange.

Several initiatives contributed to the evolution from financial institution to Private Bank. Indeed, FFA's close and long-standing relationship with its clients, led the firm to gradually expand its offerings to provide its customers with services addressing all financial matters related to their investments, their families and their companies.

Along with a widened understanding of the region's financial environment and geared towards properly servicing its Middle East investors, FFA Private Bank created its Real Estate division, a significant development which has proven to be very successful.

Expectedly, all these initiatives resulted in a radical change in the structure: at the beginning of 2007, FFA multiplied its capital by 5 and broadened its shareholder base to include several prominent business men from Lebanon and the Gulf region. They consequently received a specialized bank license and adopted the new name: FFA Private Bank.

A regional growth strategy

Headquartered in Beirut, FFA Private Bank is growing into a regional organization with cross border operations. "This strategy is supported by our belief that capital markets in the Arab and Middle East regions are moving towards greater integration, placing us in an ideal position to bridge the gap between the supply and demand of financial instruments. Our objective is to become a key player in the GCC and Levant regions through regional expansion", explains Riachi.

In the framework of the regional expansion, a subsidiary firm was opened in Dubai: FFA Dubai Ltd., the first Lebanese firm to receive a license from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate from within the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).

Services across disciplines

With a unique business model which enables them to offer a range of services regarding all matters pertaining to client's assets, and taking into account the interactions between corporate and private assets, FFA Private Bank specializes in 6 key activities: Private Wealth Management, Capital Markets, Asset Management, Corporate & Merchant Banking, Real Estate, and Online Trading.

"The global trend of private banks has still not reached its full potential in the Middle East. Thus, our aim and strategic vision is to become the region's foremost Private Bank that offers a complete range of financial products and services", concludes Riachi.