Born out of the split of assets between Orascom Telecom Holding and VEON (formerly Vimpelcom), Orascom Investment Holding holds the legacy of the region’s most successful investment company.
Orascom Investment Holding operates as a holding company with interest in the investment in the telecom, media & technology, and cable businesses. It also invests in energy, financial services, agriculture, real estate development, logistics and transport.
The company was founded on November 29, 2011 and is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.
The company’s shares are listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange, with Global Depositary Receipts listed on the London Stock Exchange
Its main sectors
Its strategy is mainly focused on investing in industries that are critical to the future, including financial services, food industries, real estate development, cultural development, transportation, and logistics.
Financial services
In late 2015, OIH acquired a controlling stake in Beltone Financial Holding, Egypt’s largest asset manager with 25 billion EGP in assets under management and over 100 billion EGP in M&A and capital market transactions.
Since then, Beltone has executed an ambitious turn around growing its existing business lines as well as expanding the company’s offerings both locally and internationally with the aim of creating a Middle East based global investment bank.
In December 2018, OIH acquired a 30% stake of Sarwa Capital, a leading provider of consumer and structured finance solutions.
OIH through its investments aims to become the largest financial services provider in emerging markets through steadily expanding their services portfolio and geographical presence.
Telecom operations
The company is managing telecom operations in North Korea, Pakistan, Lebanon.
In 2009, Orascom Investment Holding launched Koryolink, North Korea’s first 3G Mobile operator, with the state-owned KPTC. With 75% ownership stake and 3 million subscribers, Koryolink was the sole mobile network operator in the country for 9 years until a state-owned competitor entered the market.
The company established many precedents in North Korea offering the first ever communication tool for its people, the first of its kind customer service call center and a launch announcement in major media outlets across the country including the first advertising billboard in the capital, Pyongyang.
As for OIH’s telecommunications operations in Lebanon, the company owns majority shares of Orascom Telecom Lebanon S.A.L. (OTL) which manages Alfa, one of the two operating networks in Lebanon owned by the Ministry of Telecommunications (MoT). Through Alfa’s coverage, OIH reaches 99% of Lebanese land, 4.4 million of its people and 214 operators in 109 countries through roaming agreements.
OIH also operates in the business of cable networks management through Pakistan’s leading submarine fiber optic cable operator Trans World Associates (Pvt) Ltd. (TWA).
African investments
Building on its successful history of North African and Sub-Saharan investments, OIH intends to further its foray into African markets to help meet the needs of some of the least developed, fastest-growing populations on the planet, positioning itself as an urban African investment vehicle.
According to the company Africa’s economic acceleration and improved business environment are offering a significant opportunity as it can play a transformative role in solving the continent’s biggest challenges.
Board members
Naguib Sawiris founded Orascom Telecom Holding (OTH) and led it to become the leading regional telecom player until the much-publicized merger deal with VEON (formerly VimpelCom Ltd.), creating the world’s sixth largest mobile telecommunications provider in April 2011.
Today, he is Chairman & CEO of Orascom Investment Holding, a holding company with a diversified investment portfolio targeting high-growth sectors where it sees opportunities of transformation and community impact in Egypt and Africa, including financial services & fintech, telecommunications, and destination development.
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