Adnan Al Faraj Appointed Head of SME Direct Lending of ZCG Arabia

Builds on Firm’s Commitment to Invest in Saudi Arabia

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- August 4, 2025 – Z Capital Group (“ZCG”), aleading, privately held global firm, today announced the appointment of AdnanAl Faraj as Head of SME Direct Lending of ZCG Arabia. Mr. Al Faraj will lead thefirm’s direct lending platform for small- and medium-sized enterprises (“SMEs”)in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (the “Kingdom”), with a focus on high-growth, cash-flowgenerative businesses led by experienced management teams.

The appointment builds on ZCG’s previously announcedcommitment to invest in the Kingdom as part of its broader global expansion.ZCG Arabia’s mission is to become a leading provider of tailored capitalsolutions that support sustainable growth and contribute to the Kingdom’sVision 2030 goals.

Through its direct lending platform, ZCG Arabia will offer asuite of flexible financing options, including secured term loans, revolving creditfacilities, and mezzanine loans. Mr. Al Faraj will lead sourcing andoriginating transactions, underwriting and risk assessment, and managing theSME lending portfolio.

Mr. Al Faraj brings over two decades of strategic leadershipexperience and has had a successful history in SME sourcing and banking across multiplesectors. He spent more than 15 years at Banque Saudi Fransi, most recently as SMEUnit Head within its Corporate Banking Group, where he played a key role in quadruplingthe SME portfolio and expanding market share. He also held senior roles atSaudi Awwal Bank, where he led business development and managed a portfolio ofcorporate clients.

“SMEs in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia represent a market withtremendous untapped potential, and we are committed to delivering the creative,tailored capital solutions to help them grow,” said James Zenni, Founder,President, and Chief Executive Officer of ZCG. “Adnan’s deep expertise in SMEbanking and his strong leadership make him the ideal person to lead thisimportant initiative for ZCG. We are confident he will drive long-term valuefor our partners and investors.”

In addition to the SME direct lending strategy, ZCG will buildon its presence in the region and look to deploy capital across the Kingdomthrough its core private equity, private credit, and infrastructure platforms,supported by the firm’s business consulting platform ZCG Consulting, LLC(“ZCGC”) (www.zcgc.com) and technologyaffiliate, Haptiq (www.haptiq.com). ZCGArabia is headquartered in Riyadh, serving as the firm’s regional hub for theMiddle East and North Africa (MENA), located at North Yard, 7068 Prince Turki bin Abdulaziz I,​Riyadh, 13523, Saudi Arabia.

“I am honored to join ZCG and excited by the firm’s clearcommitment to supporting economic growth across the Kingdom,” Mr. Al Faraj said.“I look forward to working closely with ZCG’s exceptional team to provideflexible, growth-oriented capital solutions and help SMEs overcome theirchallenges and achieve sustainable success.”

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