Rasmala: Ali Al Shihabi talks investment in two cultures

Rasmala was created by one man: Ali Al Shihabi. The firm and its founder encapsulate the cultural fusion for which their home, Dubai, is famed. Dominic O’Neill profiles a company that specializes in the world’s fastest-growing financial market.

Ali Al Shihabi

“Public markets like to see annuity and fee income, rather than chunky, deal-based revenue”
Ali Al Shihabi

ALI AL SHIHABI is used to being between civilizations. Sitting opposite Euromoney in a City of London boardroom, the 49-year-old is dressed in a classic grey suit – from Savile Row, perhaps. But back in the Middle East, he wears Arabian robes and headgear. With the world’s financial markets reeling from the sub-prime crisis and a rocketing oil price, one region stands out as an attractive investment destination: the Gulf.

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