Publish Date : 14-Jun-2018
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) UK, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank - a leading financial institution, has arranged and structured a Shariaa-compliant transaction to finance the acquisition of Lateral House, located in Leeds, UK, for AED 118.2 million (24 million) on behalf of an Abu Dhabi-based private banking client.
Constructed in 2005 and located in the heart of Leeds, one of the UKs fastest growing cities, Lateral House is a modern Grade A office building providing 95,317 square feet of net lettable commercial office space, set over ground and four upper floors.
Commenting on the transaction, Paul Maisfield, Head of Real Estate at ADIB UK, said: We are increasingly seeing demand from GCC-based investors for the yield provided by regional UK commercial real estate. While Londons long-term property investment story is well-established, cities such as Leeds are growing quickly and have commercial property providing solid rates of return. The ADIB UK team has the market knowledge and expertise to identify high-quality assets, advising clients on prospective property opportunities and structuring tailored Shariaa-compliant financing solutions with a minimal turnaround time.
Paul Maisfield added: In recent years, ADIB UK has established a leading position in providing Shariaa-compliant financing to a range of individual and larger investors. We look forward to expanding our operations and range of services over the coming years to serve the growing demand for UK property from the Middle East.
ADIB has a team in the UK that works with clients to provide packages and advice tailored to customer needs, whether it is financing residential or commercial properties. Earlier this year, ADIB arranged a structured Islamic financing transaction to fund the acquisition of The Hub, located at the Aztec West Business Park, Bristol, for AED 159.4 million (32.3 million) on behalf of a private Saudi based client.
In 2017, investment volumes across the UKs Big 6 regional office markets (Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds and Bristol) were the highest for over a decade. Data released by JLL shows that office investment volumes in the Big 6 hit AED 14.3 billion (2.9 billion) in 2017, 49% up on 2016. Manchester led the way for the year as a whole, with volumes of AED 4.5 billion (908 million) which accounted for 30% of overall activity. Birmingham was the second most active market with AED 3.8 billion (762 million) transacted.
ADIB opened its office at One Hyde Park in London in May 2012 and was the first UAE-based bank providing Islamic financial services to be licensed to operate in the UK. Today, it is just one of six banks in the UK providing Sharia-compliant services.
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