On the sidelines of Gateway Gulf 2025, BBK partners with Panmure Liberum to enhance investment banking capabilities in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the GCC

04 Nov 2025

Partnership signed at flagship Gateway Gulf 2025 conference, creating two-way bridge for investment, advisory and capital flows between the UK, Bahrain and the wider GCC

3 November, London, Manama – On the sidelines of Gateway Gulf 2025 investment forum at the Kingdom of Bahrain, BBK (Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait) and Panmure Liberum, signed a partnership to bring Panmure Liberum’s investment banking expertise to BBK’s client base, supporting the growth of companies in Bahrain and the wider GCC.

The partnership will see the UK’s largest independent investment bank, Panmure Liberum, bring its deep expertise in investment banking to support local and regional dealmaking and capital raising in Bahrain. Headquartered in London, Panmure Liberum provides a full suite of investment banking services, with offices in New York, Leeds, Cambridge, and Guernsey.

Panmure Liberum will act as an extension of BBK’s team, providing investment banking services to BBK’s clients. As part of the partnership, BBK will work with Panmure Liberum to offer corporate finance advice across M&A, equity and debt capital raising, and IPO support for companies both domestically and internationally across BBK’s wider network. The partnership will create a gateway for the flow of capital and experience between the UK and GCC, providing BBK clients with access to Panmure Liberum’s execution services in global equities, supported by Panmure Liberum co-branded equity research.

The two firms are already exploring a number of potential transaction opportunities under the new partnership.

Yaser Alsharifi, Group Chief Executive of BBK, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Panmure Liberum to bring leading investment banking services to our client base. We have a strong track record of innovating to meet the needs of our clients, and this partnership is the latest example of finding market-leading solutions to broaden BBK’s value proposition to our corporate customers. Panmure Liberum’s commitment to Bahrain, and by extension, the broader GCC region is clear. We share a vision for what we can achieve together to broaden the trade relationship between our countries and drive two-way investment flows.”

Rich Ricci, Chief Executive Officer of Panmure Liberum, said: “The partnership with BBK presents an enormous opportunity to both entities. We have enjoyed getting to know the BBK team and have been struck by the similarities in our respective market structures, the high quality of governance, and the rich pool of talent in the country. The partnership gives us access to exciting markets with growing companies. It is further evidence of our commitment to identify innovative partnership structures to enhance our capabilities in a highly targeted, efficient way. We would also like to thank the Bahrain Economic Development Board for their support and collaboration in realizing this partnership. Looking ahead, we will work with BBK to forge deep relationships with their corporate clients, supporting them in achieving their growth ambitions and driving shared success.