Asset Management and Investment Banking
UGB’s principal business focus is its asset management and investment banking business. Asset and fund management activities cover local, regional and international markets and include discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, securities trading, portfolio structuring and asset allocation advice, brokerage services, mutual funds investments and structuring, and alternative/structured investments. Conventional and Islamic investment banking activities include equity and debt underwriting, private placements, capital restructuring and merger & acquisitions, while private equity activity focuses on telecoms, media and technology and energy sectors.

Financial Brokerage
Financial brokerage activities are primarily corporate financing which includes initial public offerings (IPO) advisory and execution, private placement, business valuation, financial feasibility studies, project finance, due diligence and other corporate finance advisory services.

Other Business Activities
Commercial banking services are carried out through UGB’s subsidiary, Tunis International Bank, and associate, Syria Gulf Bank. UGB currently also manages Bank of Baghdad and Syria Gulf Bank under respective management contracts, but intends to transfer such management to Burgan Bank at sometime in the future.

Non-core investments in associates range across the sectors of real estate development, hospitality, communications, healthcare, education and other non-core investments.

Proprietary investments are held in private and quoted equities as well as private equity funds, structured products, managed funds and debt securities and are managed through UGB’s asset management department.

Treasury functions to manage UGB’s liquidity and in particular funding and cash management.