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Securities & Investment Company
SICO manages USD 7.9B and has ranked as Bahrain's top broker for 26 consecutive years.
Securities & Investment Company
Securities & Investment Company (SICO) was founded in Bahrain and operates under a wholesale banking license from the Central Bank of Bahrain. The firm has a direct on-the-ground presence in Saudi Arabia through its majority-owned subsidiary SICO Capital and in the UAE through SICO Financial Brokerage. Its custody and fund administration arm, SICO Fund Services Company, rounds out a full-service regional investment-banking platform. SICO manages USD 7.9 billion across three primary asset classes — GCC equities, fixed income, and real estate — through mutual funds and bespoke discretionary portfolios (per firm website, 2025). Its institutional client base includes sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and private banks. The firm acts as market maker on the Bahrain Bourse and manages the Bahrain Liquidity Fund. Its sell-side research team covers over 90% of major listed GCC companies. A landmark 2024 trade saw SICO execute a BHD 363 million (USD 963 million) block sale of a 20.62% stake in Aluminum Bahrain (Alba) from SABIC's subsidiary SIIC to Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden), acting as execution agent for both sides (per SICO, 2024). SICO's brokerage division has held the number-one market-share position in Bahrain for 26 consecutive years. The firm reported a consolidated net profit attributable to shareholders of BHD 3.2 million (USD 8.4 million) for the first half of 2024, a 95% year-on-year increase (per SICO, 2024). Subsidiaries include SICO Capital in Saudi Arabia, SICO Financial Brokerage in Abu Dhabi, and SICO Fund Services Company, a specialized custody and fund administration provider. The firm maintains a strong sell-side research capability that covers more than 90% of the region's major equities. SICO's structural differentiator is its combination of a proprietary market-making franchise on the Bahrain Bourse with a full-service investment bank and a 26-year streak as the country's top broker. That triple role — liquidity provider, execution agent for marquee block trades, and asset gatherer across mutual funds and discretionary mandates — gives it a unique vantage point on GCC capital flows that a pure asset manager or a standalone brokerage cannot replicate.
General information
Firm type
Bank / Wealth / Trust
Year founded
—
AUM
USD 7.9 billion (per firm website, 2025)
Location
Region
Middle East
Country
Bahrain
City
Manama
Corporate office
Manama, Bahrain
Additional offices
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions at SICO?
SICO does not publicly name a CIO or individual investment committee members. The firm operates under a wholesale banking license from the Central Bank of Bahrain, and its asset management division runs mutual funds and discretionary portfolios across GCC equities, fixed income, and real estate. Key-man risk disclosures are not publicly detailed.
How does SICO source proprietary deal flow?
SICO sources mandates through its dual role as Bahrain's top-ranked broker and a licensed investment bank. Its market-making operations on the Bahrain Bourse and the Bahrain Liquidity Fund give it deep visibility into local liquidity patterns. In 2024, it served as execution agent for the USD 963 million block trade of Alba shares between Ma'aden and SABIC's SIIC unit (per SICO, 2024).
Is SICO a single family office or an investment bank?
SICO is a wholesale investment bank and regional asset manager, not a single family office. It operates under a Central Bank of Bahrain wholesale banking license and has three wholly owned or majority-owned subsidiaries in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Its AUM of USD 7.9 billion is sourced from institutions, sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and private banks (per firm website, 2025).
Does SICO invest directly or primarily through funds?
SICO manages both mutual funds and discretionary mandates. Its asset management division offers pooled vehicles and separately managed accounts across equities, fixed income, and real estate. The firm also holds direct stakes through its market-making and liquidity-fund operations. It does not explicitly segment fund-of-fund allocations from direct investments in public disclosures.
What investment stages or asset classes does SICO avoid?
SICO's public disclosures focus on GCC and MENA mandates across listed equities, fixed income, and real estate. The firm does not claim venture capital, growth equity, or private credit strategies. Its investment banking arm engages in IPOs, M&A, and debt restructuring, but the asset management division is not known to pursue private-market pre-IPO rounds.
How is SICO related to its subsidiaries in Saudi Arabia and the UAE?
SICO owns a majority stake in SICO Capital, a full-fledged capital markets services firm in Saudi Arabia. It also wholly owns SICO Financial Brokerage in Abu Dhabi and SICO Fund Services Company, a specialized custody and fund administration house in Bahrain. These subsidiaries extend SICO's brokerage, research, and custody capabilities across the GCC.
What is SICO's known posture on co-investments alongside external GPs?
SICO does not publicly describe a co-investment program alongside external GPs. Its transactions typically involve acting as an execution agent or broker for large block trades, as seen in the 2024 Ma'aden–SIIC ALBA share transaction (per SICO, 2024). The asset management division's discretionary portfolios may include third-party manager allocations, but specifics are not disclosed.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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