Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited and MENA Private Equity Association join forces to develop Private Equity thought leadership for the region

30 November, 2014 – Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited and The MENA Private Equity Association, the leading regional representative body for the private equity and venture capital industry, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the Association’s annual Private Equity and Venture Capital report.

The collaboration aims to bring together, the already established Deloitte Middle East Private Equity Confidence survey and the MENA Private Equity and Venture Capital report to prepare the authoritative annual report on the state of the private equity markets across the MENA region. The report will present deep industry insight, thought leadership, broad data analytics and focus on industry hot topics. The report will also incorporate the views of a wide range of private equity practitioners and cover the key drivers of deal activity, regional trends and the firepower and appetite of PE firms to invest.

Declan Hayes, Managing Director, Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited commented: “We are delighted to be collaborating with The MENA Private Equity Association and we are confident that the report will build on the success of each of our annual surveys and will become the authoritative annual market assessment of the state of the MENA Private Equity market”.

Lina El Zein, Director of The MENA Private Equity Association (MENA PEA) said: We are thrilled to join hands with Deloitte to develop the annual Private Equity and Venture Capital report, which is the most trusted source of industry statistics and information on the current state of the regional Private Equity and Venture Capital industry. We are also confident that such collaboration will benefit all industry stakeholders.”

Both Deloitte and MENA Private Equity Association will be working closely together on the preparation of the research and the report which will give an invaluable strategic assessment of the state of the Private Equity markets and its likely prognosis over the next 12 months.

About MENA Private Equity Association:

The MENA Private Equity Association is a non-profit entity committed to supporting and developing the private equity and venture capital industries in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Association aims to foster greater communication within the region’s private equity and venture capital networks and facilitates knowledge sharing in order to encourage overall economic growth, and will actively promote the industries’ successes to local stakeholders and build trust with investors, regulators, and the public regionally and internationally.

Our mandate:

• Enhance transparency through industry statistics and information sharing
• Offer a platform for collective knowledge sharing from top practitioners to develop best practice guidelines in various industries.
• Leverage the expertise of leading lawyers and consultants to maintain an open dialogue with regional regulators.
• Bring together members and experts from different industries to participate in member-only, flagship roundtable events to help members identify investment opportunities and build new contacts.

We help the private equity and venture capital communities through the following specific initiatives:

• Issue the Annual Private Equity & Venture Capital reports.
• Reach out to family offices and investors in the GCC region and raise awareness about the members of the association and the important role they play in growing companies.
• Gather GP’s and industry professionals, as well as operators in education, healthcare, retail, oil and gas, information technology, consumer goods, food and beverage, financial services, among others, to help identify investment opportunities.
• Issue white papers summarizing the roundtable discussions.
• Partner with relevant associations in Europe, North America, and Asia to offer co-memberships, discounted rates to attend global events, customized training programs, and exposure to global research.

About Deloitte:

Deloitte provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte has in the region of 200,000 professionals, all committed to becoming the standard of excellence.

Deloitte's professionals are unified by a collaborative culture that fosters integrity, outstanding value to markets and clients, commitment to each other, and strength from cultural diversity. They enjoy an environment of continuous learning, challenging experiences, and enriching career opportunities. Deloitte's professionals are dedicated to strengthening corporate responsibility, building public trust, and making a positive impact in their communities.

About Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited:

Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited is a Company limited by shares, registered in Dubai International Financial Centre with registered number CLO 748 and is authorized and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority. A list of members is available for inspection at Al Fattan Currency House, Building 1, Dubai International Financial Centre, the firm’s principal place of business and registered office. Tel: +971 (0) 4 506 4700 Fax: +971 (0) 4 327 3637. Deloitte Corporate Finance Limited is an affiliate of the UK and Middle East member firms of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee, and its network of member firms, each of which is a legally separate and independent entity. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited and its member firms.

About Deloitte & Touche (M.E.):

Deloitte & Touche (M.E.) is a member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL) and is the first Arab professional services firm established in the Middle East region with uninterrupted presence since 1926.

Deloitte is among the region’s leading professional services firms, providing audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through 26 offices in 15 countries with around 3,000 partners, directors and staff. It is a Tier 1 Tax advisor in the GCC region since 2010 (according to the International Tax Review World Tax Rankings). It has received numerous awards in the last few years which include Best Employer in the Middle East, best consulting firm, and the Middle East Training & Development Excellence Award by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).