Emirates Investment Bank (EIBank) said it had played a key advisory role in the sale of a controlling stake in Country Hill International (CHI), a leading premium meat company in the UAE, to the Gulf Japan Food Fund, which is partly owned by Mizuho Bank and The Norinchukin Bank.

Baker & McKenzie Habib Al Mulla was the legal adviser to CHI on the deal, said a statement from the company.

Husam Kutaifan, the managing director and head of investment banking of EIBank, said: “This transaction marks another achievement for our investment banking team in the F&B sector.”

“Our experience and knowledge of the UAE market, together with the capabilities and skills of our team, continue to give us the edge we need to identify the right opportunities for our clients,” stated Kutaifan.

“We are currently involved in a number of transactions across the GCC, particularly in the healthcare, education and F&B sectors – all fast growing in the region. As this momentum continues to build, we look forward to seeing more value-adding deals come to fruition in the coming period,” he added.

Founded in the UAE in 1999, CHI is a meat wholesale company that specialises in importing meat products from New Zealand and Australia and distributing them to high-end hotels, restaurants, cafés and major supermarket chains in the UAE and Oman.

Gulf Japan Food Fund is a private equity fund set up to promote the export of Japan’s agricultural and fisheries products, and related production and operation technology.– TradeArabia News Service