Fintech PR
Fayafi Investment Holding formally showcases core leadership team on path to global growth

DIFC-headquartered Emirati family firm gears up for expansion by hiring for slew of new leadership positions
DUBAI, UAE, Feb. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — UAE-based investment firm Fayafi Investment Holding (ISIN: CH1388143591) (Bloomberg: SPV Fayafi Investment) has formally announced its leadership team, cementing its organisational structure while preparing to announce ambitious expansion plans.
The firm, operating out of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), is the first Emirati family-owned company in DIFC to win registration on SIX (Swiss Stock Exchange) and a listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange through its Securitization done via an Investment Wrapper.
Mohammed Hussain Al Ghfeli has been formally announced as Chairman. The Dubai-based UAE national is a finance leader in the United Arab Emirates and serves as the Head of the Sovereign Revenue Section for the Dubai government’s Department of Finance. He shapes Fayafi Investment Holding’s values of sustainable growth, transparency and bolstering Dubai’s position as a leading global financial hub.
Dr. Patrick Pilati has been formally announced as Executive President at Fayafi Investment Holding. With an exceptional track record of steering companies through intricate financial ecosystems, Dr. Pilati has been crafting the financial strategy for Fayafi Investment Holding since 2023. He was instrumental in the Securitization process of Fayafi, allowing the creation of a financial security registered on the SIX Swiss Exchange, and has played a pivotal role in bringing the company onto the world stage.
Prof. Christian Farioli has been formally announced as President of Communication & PR. The award-winning digital marketing strategist, author and keynote speaker has been tasked with managing Fayafi Investment Holding’s global brand positioning and corporate communications.
Meanwhile, Fayafi Investment Holding actively seeking top-tier global talent for new positions, including Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Chief Operating Officer (COO), Chief Investment Officer (CIO), Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and others.
“I am very pleased to formally announce the core Fayafi Investment Holding team, showcasing the industry leaders who advance our mission of global excellence. Fayafi Investment Holding is gearing up for a new phase of growth as we explore investment opportunities that advance scientific and sustainability causes, and are looking to expand our team with top-tier global talent. As an Emirati-owned firm, we are excited about our world-first accomplishments that are helping cement the UAE’s status as a hub of financial innovation,” said Mohammed Hussain Al Ghfeli, Chairman of Fayafi Investment Holding.
Fayafi Investment Holding structures Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) to explore investment opportunities in science and technology advancement. Its flagship SPV is underpinned by isotope copper, a rare commodity with crucial applications across medicine, aerospace and renewable energy.
Fayafi Investment Holding’s securitization process enabled the issuance of Euroclearable securities valued at $3.6 billion. These certificates, registered on the SIX Swiss Exchange and listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, are backed by the holding’s valuation, which in turn is backed by the isotope copper reserves stored in its Dubai vaults under the supervision of Ferrari Logistics DMCC and valued by the Institute of Rare Earths and Strategic Metals in Lucerne, Switzerland
The Fayafi Investment Holding SPV registration on SIX Swiss Exchange and listing on the Vienna Stock Exchange through its securitization makes it the first time ever that isotope copper has been made available as a metal commodity to worldwide qualified investors.
Key Details:
ISIN: CH1388143591
Issuer of the Note: AIS PCC Limited
Issued: European Depositary Bank SA, 3 Rue Gabriel Lippmann, 5365 Munsbach Schuttrange, Luxembourg
Bloomberg: SPV Fayafi Investment
Registered: SIX Swiss Exchange
Listed: Vienna Stock Exchange
Launch Date: February 14, 2025
Opening Valuation: $3.6 Billion
Price Per Securities Certificate: $100
Total Securities Certificates: 36 million
Custodian / Insure: Ferrari Logistics, DMCC, Dubai, UAE
Valuator & Asset Auditor : INSTITUT FÜR SELTENE ERDEN UND METALLE AG, Lucern, Switzerland
Media Contact Details: FAYAFI Investment Holding, [email protected], DIFC, Dubai, UAE
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2612732/Fayafi_Investment_Holding.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/fayafi-investment-holding-formally-showcases-core-leadership-team-on-path-to-global-growth-302367924.html
Fintech PR
CGTN: China’s booming ice and snow industry fuels its economic growth

BEIJING, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Harbin, capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, exemplifies the country’s thriving ice and snow economy.
During the eight-day 2025 Spring Festival holiday from January 28 to February 4, the city has seen booming snow tourism. As an ice-themed park known for its dazzling ice sculptures, Harbin Ice-Snow World attracted over 610,000 visits. In particular, more than 100,000 visits were made on February 1, setting a new record for single-day attendance.
The increasing popularity of the park is partly attributed to the city’s upcoming role as the host of the 9th Asian Winter Games, which will be held from February 7 to 14, marking China’s second major winter sports event following the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 9th Asian Winter Games and host a welcome banquet for foreign leaders in attendance.
Ice and snow economy enters ‘fast lane’
Xi has paid close attention to the development of China’s ice and snow sports and industries, urging efforts to consider ice and snow economy as a new growth point to promote the development of the whole industrial chain involving winter sports and culture, snow-and-ice equipment and tourism.
In recent years, as winter sports and tourism surged in popularity across China, the ice and snow economy has witnessed significant growth.
According to the General Administration of Sport of China, the number of people participating in various ice and snow sports such as skating, skiing, curling and ice hockey nationwide reached 57.35 million in the 2023-2024 snow season. Over 385 million winter leisure visits nationwide were recorded, marking a 38 percent increase from the previous year.
During the last snow season, Harbin alone welcomed over 87 million visitors, marking a 300 percent year-on-year increase and generating 124.8 billion yuan (about $17.4 billion) in tourism revenue – a staggering 500 percent growth.
Meanwhile, the ice and snow consumption is becoming an important growth point to expand domestic demand, transforming the “cold” resources into “hot” engine for economic development.
According to online shopping and tourism platforms, orders for ice and snow equipment surged, while searches and bookings for ice and snow tours saw rapid growth during the “Double 11” shopping festival last year.
On China’s leading e-commerce platform, Tmall, sales of categories such as down jackets, thermal wear and skiing equipment surged by over 200 percent year on year during the “Double 11” shopping festival.
Broad prospects
To harness its abundant ice and snow resources for economic development, China is intensifying efforts to expand its winter economy, encompassing sports, culture, equipment, and tourism.
According to the guidelines issued by the General Office of the State Council, the country aims to promote its ice and snow economy as a new growth point, with the goal of reaching an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan (about $169 billion) by 2027, and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030.
To achieve these goals, various cities and regions are integrating winter sports and tourism into their development plans.
The Heilongjiang Province is promoting the establishment of a China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization winter sports demonstration zone, expediting the development of ice-and-snow equipment and digital industry parks.
In Beijing, the city has launched an action plan, proposing 24 specific measures in areas such as expanding the ice and snow sports and consumption, and advancing the construction of ice and snow venue facilities.
The vigorous growth of the ice and snow economy has also drawn global attention. A slew of measures, including optimizing the visa-free policy and opening new international flight routes, have attracted a number of foreign tourists to start their “China Travel” and enjoy the winter season in the country.
China’s thriving ice and snow economy has also injected new momentum into the global tourism market, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Thursday, extending a warm invitation to friends from around the world to participate in ice and snow events, fostering friendship and cooperation.
For more information, please click:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-02-06/China-s-booming-ice-and-snow-industry-fuels-its-economic-growth–1ALQPnOkxO0/p.html
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/cgtn-chinas-booming-ice-and-snow-industry-fuels-its-economic-growth-302371001.html
Fintech PR
SM Investments Recognized for Landmark Capital Market Deal

PASAY CITY, Philippines, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — SM Investments Corporation (SM Investments), the parent company of the SM Group, has been awarded the “Philippine Capital Market Deal of the Year” by International Financing Review Asia (IFR Asia) for its successful issuance of a USD500 million five-year bond in 2024. This recognition underscores SM Investments’ leadership in the capital markets and the strong confidence of global investors in the company’s financial strength.
IFR Asia cited SM Investments’ return to the US dollar bond market after a decade-long absence as a significant development for the Philippine corporate sector. The transaction, which was the largest five-year deal by a Philippine corporate in 2024, reopened the market amid volatile conditions and achieved competitive pricing at 35 basis points.
“This landmark transaction represents a major milestone for both SM Investments and the Philippine capital markets. The strong demand from investors reflects confidence in Philippine corporate issuers and underscores SM’s reputation as a stable and well-managed investment option,” said Erwin G. Pato, Executive Vice President for Treasury, Finance, and Planning at SM Investments Corporation.
IFR Asia noted that SM Investments’ bond issuance attracted significant investor interest, given the relative scarcity of corporate issuances from the Philippines in recent years. The transaction also marked SM Investments’ first bond issuance since its USD350 million 10-year note in June 2014.
The deal was arranged by leading global financial institutions, with HSBC, JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and UBS acting as joint lead managers and joint bookrunners. BDO Capital and Chinabank Capital also participated as joint lead managers.
International Financing Review Asia is a respected source of news and analysis on capital markets and investment banking, reinforcing the credibility of this recognition.
SM Investments’ achievement highlights its commitment to financial excellence and its role in strengthening investor confidence in the Philippine market.
About SM Investments Corporation
SM Investments Corporation is one of the leading Philippine companies that is invested in market-leading businesses in retail, banking, and property. It also invests in ventures that capture high growth opportunities in the emerging Philippine economy.
SM’s retail operations are the country’s largest and most diversified, consisting of grocery stores, department stores and specialty retail stores. SM’s property arm, SM Prime Holdings, Inc., is the largest integrated property developer in the Philippines with interests in malls, residences, offices, hotels, and convention centers as well as tourism-related property developments. SM’s interests in banking are in BDO Unibank, Inc., the country’s largest bank, and China Banking Corporation, the fourth largest private domestic bank.
For more information, please visit www.sminvestments.com
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View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/sm-investments-recognized-for-landmark-capital-market-deal-302370993.html
Fintech PR
BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025 Officially Concludes, Attracting Over 63,000 Visitors and Securing USD 90.6 Million in Export Contracts

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Feb. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PT Bank Rakyat Indonesia (Persero) Tbk. (IDX: BBRI) successfully concluded BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025, reinforcing its commitment to empowering MSMEs and expanding their global market reach. Held from January 30 to February 2, 2025, at ICE BSD City, the event attracted over 63,000 visitors, generated IDR 38.9 billion in transactions, and secured USD 90.6 million in export contracts through business matching. The closing ceremony was led by BRI President Director Sunarso.
A Platform for Global MSME Expansion
With the theme “Broadening MSME’s Global Outreach”, the event showcased 1,000 top Indonesian MSMEs ready for the international market. The closing ceremony was attended by BRI Vice President Director Catur Budi Harto. BRI President Director Sunarso highlighted the expo’s success in raising awareness of local MSME products, exceeding its initial target of 50,000 visitors.
By February 1, 2025, transactions hit IDR 38.9 billion, exceeding expectations. Sunarso reaffirmed BRI’s commitment to MSMEs, with business matching continuing through 2025 in partnership with the Ministry of Trade, holding twice-monthly sessions to boost exports.
This year’s BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025 saw the participation of 506 registered buyers from 34 countries, significantly exceeding the initial target of 94 buyers from 33 countries.
So far, 166 MSMEs have engaged in 270 business meetings, one of the standout success stories is PT Siger Jaya Abadi, which secured a USD 13.05 million export deal with Bluestar Food Corporation, USA.
BRI UMKM Awards: Honoring Top MSMEs
BRI recognized outstanding businesses in three categories:
1. Top Deals on Business Matching
For MSMEs achieving the highest potential transactions in business matching sessions:
- Bintang Kita Kemuliaan (Food & Beverage)
- Albasi Karang Layung (Home Décor & Craft)
- Gula Aren Temon (Food & Beverage)
2. Newcomers on Business Matching
For first-time exporters who successfully secured international buyers:
- Rumah Atsiri Indonesia (Healthcare & Wellness)
- Minyak Sacha Inchi (Food & Beverage)
- Organic Center (Food & Beverage)
3. Best Expo
For MSMEs demonstrating outstanding export readiness and digital adoption:
- Sila Agri Inovasi (Food & Beverage)
- Pelita Lumpang Mas (Food & Beverage)
- Restu Mande (Food & Beverage)
These awards highlight BRI’s commitment to empowering MSMEs globally while advancing financial literacy and inclusion.
For more details on BRI UMKM EXPO(RT) 2025, visit briumkmexport.com.
For more information about BANK BRI, visit www.bri.co.id.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2615107/BRI_BRI_UMKM_EXPO_2025.jpg
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/bri-umkm-export-2025-officially-concludes-attracting-over-63-000-visitors-and-securing-usd-90-6-million-in-export-contracts-302370823.html
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