Zak Hydari 

Group Chief Executive,  Rasmala plc

At the start of the year any hopes investors had for an improvement over 2015 have been dashed. The impact of lower oil prices, regional conflicts and China slowdown has amplified the situation in the Middle East and highlighted to investors the importance of diversification.  Investors are feeling the pain as a result of this market volatility, and it’s not over yet.

In the midst of this turmoil investors will seek out safe havens but some will also be bold enough to take advantage of lower valuations. How you react will depend on your circumstances and investment style. Rasmala is here to help you navigate in these difficult times as we have been developing investment products which are uncorrelated to the equity and bond markets, that are income producing and exhibit low volatility.

Rasmala operates a multi-product platform where different business and product teams tailor investment solutions suitable for different market conditions. We believe our asset backed, income yielding strategies which include equipment leasing, trade finance and real estate will do well in 2016.  Equity markets will offer nimble, research-based investors, like ourselves, opportunities as specific individual securities become undervalued.   And our fixed income strategies will continue to provide a safe heaven during such market turbulences as we are currently witnessing.

We see our competitors delaying the launch of new products because of a strategic need to focus and prioritize on the short term. Rasmala will press ahead with plans to launch new products in 2016. It will be the fifth consecutive year that we will expand our product range. We strongly believe our commitment will only enhance our opportunity as clients need for our distinct capabilities grows larger.

At the end of last year our parent company changed its name to Rasmala plc. Rasmala is now a London headquartered investment firm with a strong regional presence. The strength and commitment of our parent company allows us to implement our strategic plans in a way that enhances and strengthens our market position.

Rasmala is in the business of investing, protecting and growing our clients’ wealth.  Rasmala has had a continuous presence in the region since 1999 and during that time we have witnessed difficult market conditions many times. We believe our past experience gives us added insight and positions us to better protect your wealth in these stressed conditions.

We are committed to forging stronger client relationships and we hope our ability to support our clients in these difficult times will be acknowledged and rewarded in the future.

Rasmala will publish its annual report along with a more detailed analysis of the firm’s 2015 achievements and performance in due course.

Yours sincerely,

Zak Hydari