Moody’s announced plans to acquire a majority equity stake in Middle East Rating & Investors Service (MERIS), its long-standing affiliate in Egypt. The move strengthens Moody’s presence in the Middle East and Africa and underscores its commitment to supporting the growth of local capital markets.

Founded in 2003 as a joint venture between Moody’s and Egyptian consulting firm FinBi, MERIS has been a key player in Egypt’s domestic credit rating market, covering corporates, financial institutions, and structured finance. With this deal, Moody’s will deepen its integration with MERIS while still allowing the firm to operate independently, maintaining its own methodologies, ratings, and management team.

Executives from both sides highlighted the benefits:

Moody’s COO Monica Merli said the deal will allow Moody’s to share global best practices with MERIS while leveraging the local team’s trusted insights.

MERIS founder Dr. Amr Hassanein noted that closer collaboration with Moody’s will enhance offerings and contribute to the development of Egypt’s financial markets.

The transaction remains subject to regulatory approvals, and financial terms were not disclosed.