Unicorn Investment Bank completes US$ 45 million first closing of its Global Private Equity Fund I

Notes and media contacts

About Unicorn Global Private Equity Fund I:
• The size of the Fund is US$ 150 million (comprising of up to 1,500 units, offered at a price of US $100,000 per unit with minimum investment of US$ 100,000 for retail investors and US $1m for institutional investors).
• The Fund is US dollar denominated, although it will invest using local currencies.
• The Fund is registered with the Bahrain Monetary Agency.

About UIB:
• Unicorn Investment Bank commenced operations on 5 May 2004 in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
• In its first eight months of business, UIB achieved revenues of US$36.4m and a net profit of US$17.1 m.
• In 2005 (its second year of operation), UIB reported full year revenues of US$52.6m and a net profit of US$24.2m.
• Unicorn recently announced half-year results for the six months ended 30 June 2006 of US$43.4m revenues and US$23.8m net profit.
• UIB has doubled its capital to US$233 million following a successful round of fund raising in July 2006.
• UIB has achieved a number of "firsts" in Islamic banking. In November 2005, the Bank closed the "KSA Real Estate Fund-1", the first ever equity fund to allow non-Saudi nationals to invest in the growing Saudi Arabian property market via an innovative financial and legal structure.
• In May 2006, UIB launched "Gulf Springs", the first pan-GCC real estate fund, in partnership with leading real-estate developers in each GCC market.
• UIB, working in partnership with a multilateral organization, has recently closed "KSA MBS 1 International Sukuk," the GCC's first Sharia-compliant asset-backed security: a debt product designed for home financing companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (akin to a mortgage-backed security).
• In September 2006, UIB and WestLB successfully closed a US$ 150 million Musharaka Trust Sukuk for Kuwait's Investment Dar. This is the first Musharaka Sukuk structured with a put option for the investors and a call option for the issuer.
• Since its inception, UIB has already advised, structured and successfully placed deals with a total value in excess of US$1 billion.


About Orimix:
Established in 1989 and registered in the Emirate of Fujairah, Orimix Readymix & Crusher LLC was acquired by Salbookh Trading Company (Kuwait) in April 2005. Orimix is a leading readymix concrete supplier with five plants in three different sites (Fujairah, Bidiya and Dibba,) serving the East Coast of the UAE and Oman. The company is ISO 9001 certified and has demonstrated its superior product quality in the numerous projects executed in Fujairah over the past 15 years. It is a registered supplier with the Ministry of Public Works & Housing, Fujairah Municipality, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Interior, ADNOC, Emarat, ENOC and many others.

www.orimix.com


Media contacts
Mark Lunn of Gavin Anderson & Co, London
Bahrain Tel: +973 17 566 000
UK Tel +44 (0) 20 7554 1400
UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7775 992 309

George Tucker
Gavin Anderson & Co, London
Bahrain Tel: +973 1756 6000
UK Tel +44 (0) 20 7554 1400
UK Mobile: +44 (0) 7917 218 451