Mr. Al Faraj is a Managing Director and Head of SME Direct Lending - ZCG Arabia,and is responsible for the development, execution, and management of the firm’s direct lending strategy across in the MENA region.
Prior to joining ZCG, Mr. Al Faraj led the SMEUnit at Banque Saudi Fransi (“BSF”). Here Mr. Al Faraj launched and managed theSME center, where he built the department and was successful in increasing overall portfolio growth.
During his tenure,Mr. Al Faraj covered working capital facilities, capex term loans, tradefinance, and structured lending solutions. Many of these deals were structured under the government initiatives designed to support SME growth with the Kingdom. He retains close working relationships with several government entities, which has enabled a smoother execution and alignment with national support programs and SMEs.
More broadly with 15 years in banking and specifically a deep understanding within the SME space, Mr. Al Faraj has worked with a broad range of clients including trading companies, contractors, logistics firms, manufacturers, consultancies, event management companies, IT service providers, security firms, and landscaping businesses, among others. His client base spans both family-owned enterprises and more structured corporates.
Prior to BSF, Mr. Al Faraj was a Relationship Manager within Corporate Banking at Saudi Awwal Bank where he provided comprehensive financial advisory services for a multitude of clients across several sectors.
Mr. Al Faraj began his career in CorporateBanking with BNP Paribas Bank and El Seif Development.
Mr. Al Faraj holds a Bachelor of Arts in FinancialServices from Bradford University (United Kingdom) and an Associate Diploma inBanking & Finance from Bahrain University.