First Berlin expands operations to the Gulf region with new regional headquarters in Riyadh 12.11.2025, 09:00 Uhr von EQS News Jetzt kommentieren: 0

Press Release

First Berlin expands operations to the Gulf region with new regional headquarters in Riyadh
 

The move marks First Berlin’s first international expansion, positioning Riyadh as its gateway to the Gulf and a bridge for innovation between Europe and Saudi Arabia’s fast-growing life-sciences sector.

Berlin, Germany / Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – 12 November 2025 – First Berlin, an international corporate-finance and investment boutique focused on small- and mid-cap companies, has today officially opened its new offices in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The new entity, First Berlin GCC, will serve as the Berlin-based boutique’s regional headquarters in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The decision to establish its first international office in Riyadh underscores the city’s rise as the region’s most dynamic hub for biotechnology, healthcare innovation, and investment; it reflects the growing synergy between the European and Saudi economies under the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 transformation agenda.

“Riyadh today represents a confident, forward-looking market that is redefining what innovation means in the region,” said Martin Bailey, Founder and Managing Partner of First Berlin. “What drew us here is the combination of strategic vision, institutional maturity, and the scale of opportunity. For a firm that grew out of Germany’s own culture of research and entrepreneurship, Riyadh feels like a place where ideas can quickly turn into impact. This is about partnership and knowledge exchange, not just presence.”

Through its Riyadh office, First Berlin GCC will connect European biotech innovators and investors with Saudi institutions, including the Health Sector Transformation Program, the Research, Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), and the National Biotechnology Strategy. The goal is to accelerate knowledge transfer, localise biomanufacturing, and help build a globally competitive regional Saudi bioeconomy.

“Saudi Arabia is not just attracting innovation; it’s shaping it,” says Dr. Tameem Ashry, Head of First Berlin GCC. “From biotechnology to precision medicine, the Kingdom is redefining what regional leadership in life sciences looks like. Our role is to create bridges between Saudi talent and global markets, between research and capital, between ideas and implementation.”

Dr. Ashry, a graduate of King Saud University and Harvard Medical School, was a Misk Fellow in 2021, part of Saudi Arabia’s flagship leadership program nurturing global innovators. He brings a track record spanning academia, consulting, and biotech entrepreneurship, including contributions to the Saudi National Biotechnology Strategy and a partnership role at a Saudi biotech firm.

First Berlin’s expansion represents more than a new chapter for the company; it highlights how European expertise and Saudi ambition can converge to drive regional healthcare transformation. By embedding itself in Riyadh’s growing innovation ecosystem, the firm aims to contribute to Vision 2030’s goals of building a knowledge-based, locally anchored economy driven by data, research, and advanced manufacturing.

About First Berlin

Founded in 1998, First Berlin is an independent corporate-finance and investment boutique headquartered in Berlin. The firm advises small- and mid-cap companies on capital increases, IPOs, bond placements, and M&A transactions, with strong sector expertise in life sciences, biopharma, infrastructure, and renewable energy.

With offices in Berlin and Riyadh, First Berlin GCC bridges European capital with Middle Eastern innovation; offering clients global reach with local insight. https://firstberlin.com

Media Contact GCC

Dr. Tameem Ashry
First Berlin GCC
Phone: +966 55 413 3001
Email: t.ashry@firstberlin.com

International Media Contact (MC Services)

Raimund Gabriel
Phone: +49 89 210 228 32
Email: firstberlin@mc-services.eu