Mr. Al Faraj is the Head of SME Direct Lending - ZCG Arabia,and is responsible for the development, execution, and management of the firm’sdirect 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 increasingoverall 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 structuredunder the government initiatives designed to support SME growth with theKingdom. He retains close working relationships with several governmententities, which has enabled a smoother execution and alignment with nationalsupport programs and SMEs.
More broadly with15 years in banking and specifically a deep understanding within the SME space,Mr. Al Faraj has worked with a broad range of clients including tradingcompanies, contractors, logistics firms, manufacturers, consultancies,event management companies, IT service providers, security firms, andlandscaping businesses, among others. His client base spans both family-ownedenterprises and more structured corporates.
Prior to BSF, Mr. Al Faraj was a RelationshipManager within Corporate Banking at Saudi Awwal Bank where he providedcomprehensive financial advisory services for a multitude of clients acrossseveral 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.