Ali El Hawary

Biography

Ali is the Head of Banking and Finance in Egypt. With more than 20 years of legal experience in Egypt and the U.A.E., Ali has a broad experience acting for both borrowers and lenders across different and diverse product lines and sectors. He also advised sponsors, bidders, lenders and EPC contractors on all matters relating to project development, project financing, acquisition and disposal. Notably, Ali has handled nearly all major bank merger and acquisition deals that took place in Egypt from 2010 to 2018, including the award-winning acquisition of the retail portfolio and card businesses of Citibank Egypt by Commercial International Bank, the transaction was awarded the IFLR Middle East “M&A Deal of the Year”.

Ali was previously Group General Counsel and Board Secretary at Union National Bank in Abu Dhabi where he oversaw the legal activities of the bank in the U.A.E., Kuwait, Qatar and China. Prior to joining Union National Bank, Ali was a Banking and Projects Partner at Zulficar & Partners.

Recent Experience

Led from both a transaction and integration perspective the US$114 billion merger between Union National Bank and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank and their subsequent acquisition of Al Hilal Bank, creating the third largest financial institution in the U.A.E. and fifth largest in the GCC, with assets of AED420 billion (US$114 billion).
Advised the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company on the FiT Program which saw 30 project companies achieve financial closure on 29 October 2017. The FiT Program is the first successful major solar park in Egypt with aggregate installed capacity of over 1600 Mw. Together, the projects will constitute the largest solar park in the world upon construction. led the firm’s efforts on this project for over 18 months, and was in charge of the review, amendment, preparation and dispatch of the project documents (PPA, UA, NCC, CSA, direct agreements) and attended continuous rounds of negotiations with lenders and developers until financial closure. In February 2018, the Program received The Global Award for Multilateral Deal of the Year which is a prestigious award granted by Thomson Reuters to the most remarkable project finance transactions.
Acted on behalf of Barclays on the sale of a 100% of its shares in Barclays Bank Egypt to Attijariwafa Bank of Morocco.
Advised Citibank on the sale of its Egyptian consumer business portfolio and card business to Commercial International Bank. The transaction was awarded the IFLR Middle East Awards M&A deal of the year.
Acted for Arab African International Bank on its acquisition of Scotiabank’s business in Egypt.
Advised a syndicate of leading international banks as buyers in relation to a landmark $2 billion repo transaction entered into with the Central Bank of Egypt as seller.
Acted for the arrangers and dealers of the Arab Republic of Egypt’s 2013 $12 billion Euro MediumTerm Note Programme and its maiden drawdown and issues thereunder.
Advised the African Export-Import Bank on the establishment of its $3 billion Euro Medium Term Note Programme and issues thereunder.
Advised Orascom Construction and Aqualia as project sponsors and the project company as borrower on the New Cairo Wastewater Treatment Plant PPP.