EquiLend Secures First Saudi Trading Client in Landmark Deal

Wall Street's favorite securities lending platform just cracked the Saudi market—and the timing couldn't be more strategic.

Breaking New Ground

EquiLend's expansion into Riyadh signals a seismic shift in Middle Eastern finance. The platform, known for processing trillions in institutional trades, now connects directly with Saudi Arabia's burgeoning financial ecosystem. No more intermediaries—just direct access to one of the world's most lucrative markets.

Why It Matters

Saudi Arabia's $700 billion Public Investment Fund has been aggressively diversifying beyond oil. EquiLend's move taps into that hunger for sophisticated financial instruments. The platform offers real-time trading, automated settlements, and risk management tools that local institutions desperately need to compete globally.

The Fine Print

This isn't just about technology—it's about trust. EquiLend had to navigate Saudi Arabia's strict regulatory framework and convince local players that their system could handle the complexity of Sharia-compliant transactions. They apparently passed the test with flying colors.

Looking Ahead

Expect competitors like Bloomberg and Tradeweb to scramble for their own Saudi partnerships. The race for Middle Eastern liquidity is officially on—and somehow, the house always wins.

EquiLend announced that EFG Hermes is going live on the firm’s Next Generation Trading (NGT) platform, becoming EquiLend’s first trading client based in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the first in the region to adopt full post-trade and trading automation via EquiLend.

EFG Hermes, an EFG Holding company, is the leading investment bank in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), offering an extensive array of financial services, encompassing advisory, asset management, securities brokerage, research, and private equity. EFG Hermes previously onboarded EquiLend’s post-trade services and now expands that relationship to include trading via EquiLend NGT. The implementation enables streamlined, automated execution and lifecycle management, giving EFG Hermes greater access to global liquidity, improved visibility into activity, and more efficient operations across its securities finance business.

“Our partnership with EFG Hermes reflects EquiLend’s commitment to delivering market-leading technology that meets the needs of firms across the Kingdom, the United Arabic Emirates, the GCC region, and around the world,” said Rich Grossi, CEO of EquiLend. “We are proud to support the growth of Saudi Arabia’s securities finance market and look forward to further collaboration with leading institutions across the region.”

“This is a significant milestone for EquiLend, the local Saudi Arabian market and the securities finance industry,” said Dimitri Arlando, Head of EMEA Sales at EquiLend. “EFG Hermes will not only benefit from automation, which will highlight them as an attractive counterparty to trade with, but connecting to the EquiLend ecosystem will also help EFG Hermes access more demand for Saudi Equities from market participants across the globe.”

This milestone underscores EquiLend’s commitment to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the broader GCC region. EquiLend is actively engaged with leading institutions across the region, providing solutions that drive efficiency, automation and global connectivity in securities finance.

Source: Equilend