Wealth & Finance International - Wealth & Money Management Awards 2016

www.wealthandfinance-intl.com 5 Award for Excellence in Dividend Performance 2016 - UAE & W&F Pioneer Award for Positive Growth in Real Estate - UAE Emirates REIT is the UAE’s first regulated real estate investment trust. We interviewed Deputy Chairman and CEO of Emirates REIT Management Mr Sylvain Vieujot to learn more about the firm and examine how it came to achieve its enviable success. Company: Emirates REIT Management (Private) Limited Address: Index Tower, East entrance, Level 23, Dubai International Financial Centre, PO Box 482015, Dubai, United Arab Emirates Phone: +971 4 405 73 48 Email: [email protected] Website: https://www.reit.ae Emirates REIT Management, subsidiary of Equitativa Real Estate, is the management firm for the Emirates REIT, a Sharia-compliant REIT designed to support clients seeking to invest in real estate in the UAE. Sylvain talks us through the firm and its pioneering history. “Emirates REIT provides REITs for clients seeking to invest in property. Sylvain was the Chairman of Eiffel Holding, which was the holding company of Société de la Tour Eiffel, the first French listed REIT. Six years ago he launched the innovative Emirates REIT, which started trading on Nasdaq Dubai over two years ago.” Based in the Dubai International Financial Centre, Emirates REIT is governed by the Dubai Financial Services Authority and invests exclusively in high-quality, income-producing commercial and education properties. The REIT manager professionally manages the assets it owns in order to maximise revenue and increase the overall performance and value of the REIT. According to Sylvain, the Emirates REIT is unique not just because it is the first such REIT to be offered in the UAE, but because of its accessibility, professionalism and dedication to providing strong returns for its investors. “Our REIT is the first of its kind in the market for a number of reasons. It is our aim with this and all of our REITs to make real estate investments safe, simple and accessible. Previously the market for real estate investment in many emerging markets has been dominated by family offices which did not offer their services to the wider market. “As a REIT, this investment is now available to a wide variety of clients, from financial institutions to private investors. Usually those seeking to invest privately in real estate need to invest large amounts of money, and it requires a strong experience in the market in order to invest in this asset class. Through investing in our REIT, clients can invest as much money as they choose. They are also safer as the investment is more diversified and is managed by an experienced and dedicated team that ensures their investment is performing.” Mitigating risk is a key aspect to any investment firm, and one that Emirates REIT Management takes very seriously, as Sylvain was keen to highlight. “Real estate investments are long term commitments. We mitigate risk through diversification in both asset class and tenants. We also secure WM16046