Al Ritaj Investment: About Us


	Al Ritaj means the great door; it is also the name of the door of the holy Ka’aba. The main objective of the Company is to offer a broad spectrum of Islamic Investment Services to small and medium cap organizations in the State of Kuwait, GCC and MENA region with a special emphasis on family owned businesses. The company shall operate in selected activities related to the Islamic Investment Services Sector and be a niche player in the region.


	Who is Al Ritaj?
	Al Ritaj Investment Company is a Kuwaiti closed shareholding company established on 6th June 2006 with a paid up capital of KD 25 million under the supervision of the Central Bank of Kuwait. Al-Ritaj Investment conducts its business according to the Islamic Shari'a principles and renders innovative solutions to the medium -sized individual and family business in Kuwait, the other GCC countries and North Africa as well as the emerging and promising markets in line with deliberate strategy adopted by highly-qualified and experienced team.


	Our strategy
	Our strategy is based on investment in private equity of medium-sized entities by strengthening and developing the performance of the target company through taking an effective direct partnership position in the company, so we can provide the needed solutions, be it business plans, expansion plans, turnaround and restructuring plans, mergers, acquisitions, in addition to providing management, financial, and operational improvements. We will work with the owners of the business to change the company into a share- holding company to allow our initial participation, and later our exit after we have achieved significant increase in its value. Al Ritaj targets companies at the different stages of a company life cycle such as growth and expansion stage, early startup stage, and even turnaround and restructuring phase.


	Our philosophy
	Meeting your expectations by understanding your challenges: Understanding the risks that faces your company will allow us the opportunity to provide you with the best solutions:

		Dynamic business environment: The local and regional markets are witnessing huge changes due to many factors such as implementing the World Trade Organization requirements, economic liberalization, privatization, removing barriers against foreign investments.
		Competitive Environment: private equity investment is the most competitive and fast growing sector in GCC and MENA regions. Entities should deliberately select the investment partner due to scarcity of administrative and financial competencies, which adversely impact business planning.
		Transitional Stages: The management of most family-owned SMEs is undergoing transition of control from the second to the third generation. This transitional phase requires professional support.
		From Individual to Institutional Management: Large numbers of SMEs need to change from individual-style management to institutional in order to grow and meet market challenges.


	Helping you make the right decisions
	As partners in your success, we will advise you to reach the best decision for your business and achieve your targets through our dedicated experienced staff and our innovative products and services, paving the ways for higher growth rates and returns.


	Our products and services
	We endeavor to achieve our goal of becoming a leader in the markets that we operate in, through offering comprehensive and innovative investment products and services that deliver superior risk adjusted value to our partners and shareholders. In addition to our core activity of direct investments in SMEs, we offer a wide range of services such as Islamic financial products, asset management, advisory services, mergers and acquisitions, placement capabilities of our own products and other third party products.


	Your Company is our priority
	We base our work culture on a commitment to meet our partners and clients’ expectations, with the conviction that every company needs to develop its plans and strategies based on its own particular business and environment. Our professional staff has extensive local, regional, and international experience in a wide a range of industries. We study the feasibility of the business, its competitiveness, and drivers of success. We develop implementation plans to help our partners take the right decisions based on clear and accurate analysis, while observing the Islamic Sharia principals.
		Our motivation Understanding the associated risk factors of SME's investment helps cater best solution for you: 1. Dynamic and highly competitive investment environment: The local and regional markets are witnessing speedy changes due to factors such as association with the World Trade Organization, economic liberalization, privatization, increasing foreign investments which all influence the investment climate 2. Competitive pressures: In a highly competitive environment comprising 30,000 SMEs registered in Kuwait – 85% of which are owned by families and individuals – the lack of managerial and financial competencies can often affect prudent business planning 3. Transitional Stages: The management of most family-owned SMEs is presently changing reins from the hands of the second generation to the third generation. This phase of transition presents a need for professional support.
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