Foot Anstey builds on expertise in Islamic finance with £43.6m Saudi-backed property deal

January 17, 2022
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The Bristol-based Islamic finance team at national law firm Foot Anstey has advised Saudi-based investment management firm Sidra Capital on its £43.6m acquisition of a major head office building occupied by a subsidiary drinks giant Coca-Cola.

The 122,000 sq ft building, pictured, in Uxbridge, Middlesex, is let to Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, which is responsible for three major bottling plants in Europe and one in Australia. 

The deal follows the team’s work last May to complete the £19m acquisition of a 39,000 sq ft grade A building in Brentwood, Essex, which was is fully let to FTSE 250 housebuilding and urban regeneration company Countryside on an unbroken 15-year lease.

The Foot Anstey team, which led on all legal advice in the latest deal for Sidra Capital, included partners Zahir Nayani and Imam Qazi, senior associate Lingxi Wang and associate Ayah Snober.

They supported Sidra on the real estate, banking and Islamic finance elements of the transaction by working alongside the Sidra deal team to complete the acquisition. 

Sidra Capital chairman Hani Baothman said: “We are delighted to have completed this value-add investment, which complements our diverse UK portfolio that has been assembled over a number of years.

“While at present the asset is fully leased to an international organisation, given its location, high-quality office space and massive potential, the building presents optionality to adapt as market conditions evolve.”

Lingxi Wang, pictured, added: “We are extremely proud to have worked with Sidra on this acquisition, and look forward to continuing to work alongside them and further demonstrate the ongoing demand for resilient, well-located real estate assets which demonstrate excellent fundamentals.”

Other law firms involved in the deal included Bedell Cristin, CMS Cameron McKenna and Watson Farley Williams.

Last month Foot Anstey’s Islamic finance team advised London-based fintech start-up Nester on what is believed to be the first UK peer-to-peer Islamic finance fintech deal.

Foot Anstey also has offices in Exeter, London, Plymouth, Southampton, Taunton and Truro.

Islamic finance is one of the firm’s six key sectors along with development, energy & infrastructure, private equity, private wealth and retail & consumer.

Pictured, below: The Foot Anstey Islamic finance team that advised Sidra. From left: Zahir Nayani and Imam Qazi, Lingxi Wang and Ayah Snober

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