FAB acquires 100% of Bahrain fund administrator Yasira

Abu Dhabi: First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB) has acquired 100 per cent of Yasira Financial Services, a Bahrain-based fund administration and trust services platform, the lender announced on November 9. The companies have not yet disclosed the value of the deal, but FAB will rebrand Yasira and fold it into its Securities Services franchise. 

The deal will bring together Yasira’s fund administration along with FAB’s custody, cash management and foreign-exchange services across the Middle East, North Africa, South and Southeast Asia (MENASSA).

Pantelis (Linos) Lekkas, Group Head of Investment Banking & Markets at FAB, links the deal to rising demand for “integrated servicing capabilities” as the regional funds industry grows in scale and sophistication.

“Our priority will be to ensure continuity for Yasira’s clients while investing in the platform, talent and capabilities needed to support their growth. Together, we will bring greater regional scale and local market expertise to fund managers operating across increasingly complex investment structures and jurisdictions,” he added.

What Yasira does

Yasira handles the back-office work behind investment funds. Its platform supports public assets, private equity, venture capital and real estate across multiple entities, structures and jurisdictions. For private-market funds, it covers the full lifecycle, from investor commitments and capital calls to allocations, financial reporting and final distributions.

The business was formerly Crestbridge Bahrain and rebranded as Yasira in late 2023. Its services also include corporate solutions, ESG advisory and data analytics for fund managers, family offices and sovereign wealth funds. At the time of the rebrand it managed more than $7 billion (Dh25.7 billion) in assets.

Expansion plans

The deal comes as UAE lenders push into new businesses and markets. Emirates NBD acquired a 60 per cent stake in India’s RBL Bank for $2.75 billion. The transaction was completed in June 2026. 

FAB itself is reported to be eyeing deals in India. A report published on October 27 said the bank was interested in a majority stake in a mid-sized Indian private lender and had held meetings with Bandhan Bank and a Kerala-based bank. Bandhan Bank told exchanges it is not in acquisition talks with FAB. FAB already runs branches in Mumbai and at GIFT City in Gujarat.

(With inputs from agencies)