Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo office, has acted as the sell-side legal advisor to Raya Holding for Financial Investments S.A.E. ("Raya Holding") and Raya Data Centre ("RDC") in a landmark transaction involving a strategic investment by Africa50, the prominent pan-African infrastructure investor platform. The USD 15 million investment, which is pending regulatory approval, will bolster RDC’s operations and fund the development of a state-of-the-art greenfield tier III data centre in Egypt, supporting the country’s growing digital economy and fuelling its developing startup ecosystem.
Raya Holding for Financial Investments S.A.E. is a leading Egyptian investment conglomerate, managing a diverse portfolio of businesses, including RDC, a key player in Egypt's data centre sector, providing essential outsourcing services and cloud infrastructure.
Zeinab Shohdy, M&A Counsel at Helmy, Hamza & Partners, Baker McKenzie Cairo, remarked: "We are excited to have supported Raya Holding and RDC on this strategic transaction, which marks a pivotal step in expanding Egypt's digital infrastructure. This investment underscores the growing investor interest in Egypt's data centre market, which is set to play a crucial role in shaping the region's technological future. We anticipate more investors will be drawn to this sector as demand for secure, scalable digital solutions continues to rise."
The Baker McKenzie Cairo team was led by Partner Hani Nassef, Counsel Zeinab Shohdy, and Associate Hayna Abdelrahim.
This deal is significant given the complex regulatory environment governing the data centre industry, which requires careful navigation due to the stringent approvals required.