FAB Buys Bahrain's Yaseera to Build Out Securities Services

First Abu Dhabi Bank will buy Yaseera Financial Services outright, taking a 100% stake in the Bahrain-based fund administrator and custodian. The bank announced the deal on Monday without disclosing the price.

FAB, the UAE's largest bank by assets, said the purchase expands its fund administration and custody business for asset managers and institutional investors across the region. Yaseera's clients run strategies in publicly traded securities, private equity, venture capital and real estate, spread across several markets and investment structures.

Handling the full private investment lifecycle

Yaseera administers funds from the first commitment to the last cheque: investor commitments, capital calls, allocations, financial reporting and final distributions. FAB will pair that with its regional and global custody capabilities, then add cash management and foreign exchange, so regional and international asset managers can work through differing structures and regulatory jurisdictions on one platform.

The deal extends FAB's MENASSA securities services platform across public and private markets. FAB plans to rename Yaseera and fold it into its securities services operations, but gave no integration timeline and did not disclose Yaseera's assets under administration.

Pantelis (Linos) D. Leikkas, FAB's group head of Investment Banking and Markets, said the acquisition reflects rising demand for integrated securities services as the region's investment fund industry grows. Existing Yaseera clients come first, he said: the bank will prioritise service continuity for them while investing in the platform's capabilities.

Steady earnings behind the purchase

FAB earned net profit of $4.5 billion (AED 16.46 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, up 3% year on year, on operating income of $8.1 billion (AED 29.71 billion), which grew 7%. The investment banking and markets division produced $2.5 billion (AED 9.33 billion), a 4% rise.

The Abu Dhabi-headquartered bank works in more than 20 markets and held $401 billion (AED 1.47 trillion) in total assets at September 30, 2026. It ranks ninth on a 2026 list of the 100 most valuable companies.

Administration and custody fees accrue on assets held rather than on deals closed, which makes them slow to build and steadier once running. Fund managers raising private equity, venture and property vehicles in the Gulf need that back-office work done close to their regulators. Buying a working administrator beats building one.