Breaking the 1Billion with a Milestone Investment in Tunisia
Breaking the 1Billion with a Milestone Investment in Tunisia
SANAD’s investment in Arab Tunisian Lease (ATL) is more than a single transaction. It also marked a defining moment for the fund: reaching the milestone of USD 1 billion invested in the region since inception. For the fund’s investors, it is a clear signal of both scale and discipline, growth anchored in local partnerships, practical financing, and support that continues well after the papers are signed.
Leasing that keeps small businesses moving
ATL plays a practical, visible role in Tunisia’s economy. It offers leasing as an alternative to traditional bank lending, helping entrepreneurs access the assets they need to operate and grow. That can mean a van for a service company, machinery for a small workshop, or equipment for farmers and agri-processors. For many small enterprises, especially those without sufficient collateral, leasing is not a “nice to have.” It is often the only workable route to investment.
With SANAD’s financing, ATL is positioned to extend new leasing to around 140 small enterprises in both urban and rural areas. A meaningful share of the funding is directed to agriculture, where investment in productive assets can stabilize incomes and sustain employment in regions with fewer alternatives.
Local funding reducing risk at the end-borrower level
One reason this partnership is so valuable is the currency structure. SANAD provides long-term funding in Tunisian dinars (TND), a rarity in the market. Local financial institutions have limited access to affordable foreign-currency hedging, and in many cases the tools are simply not available. Without local-currency financing, a leasing company would have to carry exchange-rate exposure, and that risk tends to be passed on to small businesses. By lending in TND, SANAD helps ATL finance sustainably and keeps pricing and repayment risk more predictable for end clients.
Beyond capital: modernizing how ATL serves clients
The partnership also includes Advisory & Capacity Building services focused on digitalization and innovation. ATL is upgrading internal processes, from credit assessment to portfolio monitoring, with the aim of making decisions faster and more consistently. The company is also exploring the responsible use of AI to strengthen risk management and improve client service. Done well, these tools can shorten approval times for small businesses while helping ATL maintain portfolio quality in a demanding environment.
USD 1 billion in cumulative disbursements is a milestone worth marking. Yet the clearest proof point is what happens next: local institutions like ATL expanding access to productive assets, entrepreneurs investing with confidence, and jobs are being sustained across communities. By pairing local-currency funding with hands-on support, SANAD continues to translate investor capital into measurable, on-the-ground impact at scale.
