SICO named best investment bank in Bahrain at Global Finance World's Best Investment Banks 2025 awards
SICO BSC (c), a leading regional asset manager, broker, and investment bank, with direct presence in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, was named Best Investment Bank in Bahrain at the 2025 Global Finance World's Best Investment Banks Awards for the sixth consecutive year. The award reaffirms SICO's position as a trusted financial institution, consistently delivering strategic advisory services and executing landmark transactions that drive economic growth and capital market development in the MENA region.
SICO's Group CEO, Najla Al Shirawi, shared her pride in the continued achievements across SICO's business lines, stating: 'Being named Bahrain's Best Investment Bank for the sixth consecutive year is a testament to our unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and delivering meaningful value to our clients. This recognition highlights the dedication of our outstanding team and the trust our clients continue to place in us. It also reinforces our active role in leading complex, high-impact transactions across the region. We remain dedicated to shaping the investment landscape with strategic advisory services and landmark deals that create lasting impact.'
In 2024, SICO Investment Banking played a significant role in various transactions across the region. SICO successfully led the BHD 9 million initial public offering (IPO) of AlAbraaj Restaurants Group, which was oversubscribed by 2.6 times. The firm served as Co-Lead Manager for Lulu Retail's IPO on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX), supporting one of the largest hypermarket chains in the Middle East as it prepared for its listing, further solidifying SICO's presence in the UAE.
It also acted as the Joint Lead Manager (JLM) and Joint Bookrunner along with regional and international banks for BBK's USD benchmark 5-year bond, yielding 6.875%, with the order book closing at approximately USD 1 billion. Moreover, SICO provided financial advisory services for the merger between Truffle Hospitality and Bahrain Family Leisure Company (BFLC).
SICO Investment Banking has built a strong reputation as a reliable and experienced advisor in Bahrain, having played a key role in several landmark transactions. Notable deals include Kuwait Finance House's cross-border acquisition of Ahli United Bank, the APM Terminals IPO—the most successful on the Bahrain Bourse in the past decade—and the National Bank of Bahrain's acquisition of Bahrain Islamic Bank.
Global Finance award winners are selected based on several criteria, including market share, number and size of deals, level of service and advice offered to clients, structuring capabilities, distribution network, efforts to address market conditions, innovation, pricing, after-market performance of underwritings, and market reputation.
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