Attijariwafa Bank launches investment banking platform in Dubai International Financial Centre

Dubai, December 18th 2011 - Attijariwafa bank Middle East Limited, the subsidiary of Attijariwafa bank Group, has been granted a Category 4 License to operate from the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) as a Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) authorized and regulated entity.

Abdulla Mohammed Al Awar, CEO, DIFC Authority, said: “We are pleased to welcome Attijariwafa bank Middle East Limited, which joins our DIFC community of over 900 companies including 19 of the top 25 global banks. DIFC is not just a cornerstone of the Dubai and UAE economies but is also the Centre for attracting investment and supporting the growth of economies across the entire region. DIFC has already become a core element of the region’s banking and financial sector and we are determined to continue growing as a global financial hub.”

Attijariwafa bank Group is the largest bank in Morocco and one of the leading financial institutions in Africa. The Group has an international dimension with a presence in 23 countries worldwide and notably enjoys an unmatched network in North and Sub-Saharan Africa where it operates in 12 countries through fully-controlled licensed local banks and subsidiaries.

“Attijariwafa bank Middle East Limited will benefit from the unrivaled platform of the Group to provide strategic advisory services to clients seeking to get or increase exposure to one of our growing markets. The team will leverage on local market knowledge and expertise to offer M&A advisory, capital markets and restructuring services” said Omar Ben Hallam, Senior Executive Officer and Managing Director of the company. Majid Bennis, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director, added “The DIFC structure will further strengthen our investment banking product offering to Middle Eastern clients”.

Attijariwafa bank Middle East’s board of directors is chaired by Chakib Erquizi (Group’s head of market activities) and composed of Mohamed El Kettani (Groups’ s Chairman and CEO), Boubker Jai (Group’s Co-CEO), Omar Ben Hallam, and Majid Bennis.